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<h1 align="right" style="text-align:right"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;text-decoration:none">BAYLOR ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS – June 3, 2024<o:p></o:p></span></b></h1>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">EQ: Getting to Know Alexis Rutledge</span></b><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;background:white">Get to Know Baylor’s Equestrian Student-Athletes<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt">For more information contact:
</span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt">Brent Ingram; 210-845-8651, </span><a href="mailto:brent_ingram@baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:9.0pt">brent_ingram@baylor.edu</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-size:9.0pt">
</span></span><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Editor’s Note:
</span></i></b><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">This is the fourth of a Summer series allowing the Baylor fans to get to know some of the elite student-athletes from the equestrian team on BaylorBears.com.
<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Rising senior Alexis Rutledge has been a fixture in the lineup the first three seasons for Baylor. A native of Altoona, Iowa, Rutledge competes in Western for the Bears
and is coming off a seven-win season in Horsemanship in 2023-24, including wins over No. 1 TCU, No. 5/7 Oklahoma State and No. 7 UC Davis.
<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">She was named Most Outstanding Performer following a strong outing vs. No. 5 OSU on Oct. 13. Her sophomore year featured a team-high nine Horsemanship wins, was named Big
12 Horsemanship Rider of the Month in January and was a two-time Most Outstanding Performer.
<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Academically, Rutledge shines, earning 2021 Academic All-Big 12 Rookie honors, 2022-23 Academic All-Big 12 First-Team accolades, is a two-time Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor
Roll selection, a 2023 APHA NCEA All-Academic First-Team honoree and a member of the 2023 NCEA Academic Honor Roll.
<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">At what age did you begin competing in equestrian events?
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Alexis Rutledge:</span></i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"> I began competing in equestrian events when I was five years old. I started out
doing barrel racing, then moving into jumping seat and English events when I was eight, and then later at around 12 began competing in the National Quarter Horse Association.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Why did you start competing in equestrian?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">AR:</span></i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"> Riding horses has always been a big part of my family's life. My great uncle was a horse trader
and my mom showed horses, non-competitively, growing up. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">What is your earliest memory of riding?
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">AR:</span></i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"> Waiting for my mom to pick me up and put me on a random horse (at my uncle’s where he traded
horses) every day so I could run around bareback on it while she did chores. <o:p>
</o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Who is your inspiration in sports and why?
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">AR:</span></i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"> My mom is my inspiration when it comes to the sport I participate in because riding horses was
always her passion but she was never presented with the same opportunities that I was, so I always wanted to do good and go farther in the industry for her.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Who is a current/former collegiate or professional athlete whom you admire and why?
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">AR:</span></i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"> I admire Bethany Hamilton because her story is truly inspirational. She exemplifies resilience
and determination in the face of overwhelming adversity. Rather than giving up when she lost her arm, she made an extraordinary comeback, returning to competitive surfing just months after the incident.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">What family members have made the biggest impact on your life and why?
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">AR:</span></i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"> My mom is Laurie, she has always pushed me and taken me to all my competitions. My dad is Shannon,
he was a college football player and he has taught me discipline and mentored me through the college time management process. My sister is Carley, she has always looked up to me, following in my footsteps.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">What are your strengths in your discipline? What are the areas you are currently trying to work on the most?
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">AR:</span></i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"> I believe I have strength in connecting with a horse, understanding them and carrying them through
a successful pattern. I do my best to keep them happy because that typically leads to the most success. Although I would consider myself a good teammate, I think I could have more positive and happy energy and focus more on uplifting others.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Why did you decide to attend Baylor?
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">AR:</span></i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"> I attended Baylor because I loved the business school and the equestrian team. They had the
majors I was interested in and all the people seemed so genuinely kind. Professors take the time to really get to know their students.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">What is your academic major and why did you select that major?
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">AR:</span></i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"> My academic majors are risk management and insurance as well as marketing. I chose these because
I knew I wanted to go into business and thought these would give me a good variety of options. My family does insurance, so that is a route I am very interested in.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">What are your career goals and why do you have an interest in pursuing that particular career?
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">AR:</span></i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"> My career goal currently is to be a reinsurance broker. In summer 2023 I interned at a crop
insurance company that had just recently opened a brokerage solutions company. This brokerage fed my interest in the area, leading me to take an internship this summer, in London, at a reinsurance brokerage office.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Have there been any big obstacles that you have had to overcome in your life? How did you overcome them and how did that experience help shape you?
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">AR:</span></i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"> When I was a junior in high school, I got sick and I could not leave my bed for about two months.
It was during COVID-19, so many other people in my sport were spending a lot of time practicing and riding because it was one of the few things we were allowed to do. I felt like I was falling behind and that everyone was going to have a better chance at competing
than me. I overcame this by going back strong and being dedicated to improving and competing against myself, not comparing myself to others. This experience shaped me because I began to understand that there is always going to be someone out there that is
better than you, you just have to be better than you were yesterday. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">What do you enjoy doing outside of equestrian and school?
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">AR:</span></i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"> I enjoy running, reading, and traveling. I have run two half marathons and am currently working
in London while traveling around the UK and Europe. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Do you have any pets? What are their names and what role do they play in your life?
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">AR:</span></i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"> I have too many horses to count, two BIG dogs (Bear and Jersey), like six cats, a pig named
Winston, and my mom has a raccoon named Julia that just had babies. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">What is something most people might not know about you?
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">AR:</span></i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"> I love political science and am still to this day contemplating going to law school….lol<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">What would you most like to be known for as a Baylor student-athlete?
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">AR:</span></i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"> A funny, happy, kind, supportive teammate that has other people’s backs and watches out for
her friends. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">What advice would you give to a young girl who would like to one day be in your shoes?
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">AR:</span></i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"> Don’t stress so much about starting, competing, getting recruited, etc. just do your best and
have fun.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">- BaylorBears.com -</span></i><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#385623;mso-ligatures:none">Brent Ingram</span></b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#385623;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">|
Assistant AD for Communications</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Men’s Tennis Sport Program Administrator<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Department of Athletics | Baylor University</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">C: 210-845-8651</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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