Issue link: https://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/52337
FRESNO STATE EQUESTRIAN ASSISTANT ........................................ THIRD SEASON Brenda Donat returns for her third season as the Equestrian assistant for the 2011-2012 season. A former Bulldog Equestrian, Donat joined the team in 2003 and was a strong Western Horsemanship competitor. During her reign as a Bulldog she was the 2006 Intermediate Western Horsemanship Regional Champion and finished in the top three at the 2006 Zone 8 Finals. Brenda continued on to compete and train with the only nationally ranked Saddlebred trainer in Fresno, David Becker, from 2006 - 2009. Brenda brings with her a broad equestrian background as well as a passion for the program. ........................................................................................................................ EQUESTRIAN ASSISTANT ..........................................FIRST SEASON KERI BLACKLEDGE BRENDA DONAT Keri Blackledge enters her first season as a formal member of the Fresno State equestrian staff after previously being a volunteer coach with the team in 2010-11. Combined with outstanding high school athletic and academic performance, Blackledge earned an equestrian scholarship to Fresno State, spent four years on the team and was co-captain for two. She was named to the Fresno State All Decade Equestrian Team (2000-2009) due to multiple MVPs and head-to-head points won during her tenure. She was instrumental in assisting the coaches in recruiting reiner athletes and horse donations for the team. Graduating with her Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies in May 2010, she is currently in her last semester of the Fresno State teaching credential program. ........................................................................................................................ ATHLETIC TRAINER ..................................................FIRST SEASON Ashley Pierce enters her first season as the athletic trainer for the Fresno State equestrian team and also works with the men's and women's tennis team's. Pierce is a graduate assistant athletic trainer working on her first year of her masters in kinesiology. Prior to Fresno State, Pierce spent a year working as an athletic trainer in an orthopedic physical therapy clinic and worked a season with the Long Beach State's men's volleyball and cross country teams. She did her undergraduate work at Penn State and received her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. ........................................................................................................................ HEAD STRENGTH & CONDITIONING COACH ...........SEVENTH YEAR ASHLEY PIERCE ANDY BENNETT Andy Bennett is in his seventh year as the strength and conditioning coach at Fresno State. His main responsibilities include designing and implementing strength and conditioning workouts for football, women's basketball, women's tennis, equestrian and supervising the department's strength and conditioning center and staff. Bennett came to the Bulldogs after working three years at Boise State, where he served on the strength and conditioning staff. He helped train 14 sports with the Broncos. At BSU, Bennett was also a standout on the football team from 1998-99. He was a second-team All-Big West honoree as a senior, a year he helped guide the Broncos to a 10-3 (5-1 BWC) record, a conference title and a victory over Louisville in the Humanitarian Bowl. The Forks, Wash., native also played at Walla Walla (Wash.) Community College in 1996-97. Bennett received his Bachelor of Science from Boise State in Biology in 2001. ........................................................................................................................ 2011 26 2012 27