Casey Finnell Position: Assistant Coach - Hunter Seat Experience: 5th year

Former Wildcat standout Casey Finnell enters her fifth season as an assistant coach for the Kansas State Equestrian team and her first as the leader of the Hunter Seat program.

Finnell, a two-year letterwinner for the Wildcats originally from Lenexa, Kansas, assists coaching duties while also managing the day-to-day administrative aspects of the program. A member of the Wildcat Hunter Seat squad from 2003-2007, Finnell was 13-6-1 in her last year of regular season competition and helped lead the Wildcats to a third place Hunter Seat team finish at the 2007 Varsity Equestrian National Championships.

In 2006, Finnell was the Regional High Point Hunter Seat Rider of the Year, earning her a spot at competing for the Cacchione Cup at the IHSA National Championship Horse Show. That year Finnell also earned the Most Valuable Player award at the year-end team banquet.

In addition to her accomplishments with the K-State Equestrian team, Finnell has shown nationally in AQHA competitions since 2001. She earned a finalist placing in the AQHYA World Show competition in Equitation Over Fences and Working Hunter in 2002 and 2003, respectively. In 2006, she earned a seventh place with her horse PAA Mike Joak in Amateur Jumping at the AQHA World Show.

Finnell graduated with two Bachelor of Arts degrees in Journalism and Mass Communications and also in Spanish, with a minor in Leadership Studies from Kansas State University in the spring of 2007. Received her Master's of Science in the college of student development in the summer of 2010 from K-State.