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Karen Sykes, Head Coach 

Karen Sykes enters her seventh year as head coach of the Riding Rangers after taking over the reins in the spring of 2001. She served as the program’s assistant coach for eight years, and brings riding experience as well as a working knowledge of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association to the Drew equestrian program. Under her leadership the Rangers equestrian program has achieved unprecedented success.

Sykes, who graduated from Drew in 1991 with a bachelor's degree in psychology and sociology, captained the Rangers for three years and  was honored with Drew’s MVP award for the 1990-91 seasons. She competed in the IHSA Hunt Seat and Western Alumni Division for five years prior to turning her efforts toward coaching. Sykes has been honored by her peers in 1991, 2003 and 2005 the IHSA Zone 2 Region 1 Regina Kear Coach of the Year award. She is an active member of the IHSA, USET, USEF, USEA, AQHA, and NRHA, serves on the IHSA Regional & National Horse Show Committees and sits on the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Board of Directors in the capacity of Alumni Director. Sykes currently competes locally in the jumper divisions

Sandra Sayre, Assistant Coach 

Upon graduating from Drew in 1994 with a degree in psychology and business management, Sandra Sayre has come full circle in her Drew experience, making the transition from student, to alumni rider, and finally to coach as she begins her sixth season as the Rangers’ assistant coach.

The most decorated rider in school history, Sayre has made an indelible impact on the Drew equestrian program. She was the 1993 IHSA Zone II Region I High Point rider in the open division and the Cacchione Cup representative at Nationals. She advanced to Nationals again in 1994, qualifying for postseason competition in only one semester due to a December graduation date. For this and other accomplishments, she received Drew’s MVP award for the 1992-93 season. Sayre has qualified for the national finals an unprecedented 11 times: twice as an undergraduate and nine times in the alumni category. She has earned five national titles in six years, setting a new IHSA alumni record.

Sayre claimed her first championship in the 1997-98 seasons with the alumni flat title. She went on to garner both the alumni flat and alumni fences championship in 1999-00, and repeated as the national alumni fences winner in 2000-01. She has earned the Zone II Region I Alumni High-Point Rider of the Year award five times, and captured the 2002 Alumni Fences title, and the 2003 Alumni Flat championship, becoming Drew’s first-ever Zone champion in both divisions.

In addition to her active alumni riding role, she also rides and trains young horses at a New Jersey breeding barn. A member of the IHSA, USEF, and USET, Sayre also competes as an amateur in the adult jumper, adult equitation, and green hunter divisions at USEF regulated horse shows.

Kristine Kennedy, Assistant Coach

Kristine Kennedy joined the Drew staff after completing one of the most accomplished careers in Drew athletics history in 2006. The first Drew rider to repeat as Cacchione Cup champion, Kennedy was a two-time National Championship qualifier. In 2005, she placed third in the country. She was also a two-time captain of the team and was Drew's 2006 Female Athlete of the Year.

In her first season competing as an Alumni rider, Kennedy won the 2007 IHSA Open Equitation on the Flat National Championship. She serves as an assistant coach to Karen Sykes while remaining a competitive rider.