By Ryne Rickman, UT Martin Sports Information Director
BLYTHEWOOD, SC – The University of Tennessee at Martin won three of five matchups in the flat event today at No. 8 South Carolina but it ultimately wasn’t enough as the 10th ranked Skyhawks fell by a 14-4 margin in the 2023-24 season opener.
Senior Sydney Hott starred for UT Martin today as she collected MOP accolades after an 85-point performance in flat. It marked the third flat MOP of her career and sixth overall MOP honor for the Defiance, Mo. native (all coming since the start of the 2022-23 campaign).
Hott’s rock-solid performance set the tone for the Skyhawks in the event as Haley Kane (76 points) and Bridget Vieau (65) also earned head-to-head victories. Elizabeth Becker posted a career-best score of 76 points while Sophia Sundem registered 72 points to complete UT Martin’s lineup.
The Skyhawks also competed well in horsemanship as Emma Schaefer managed a victory with a 72.5-point effort. That score would look very familiar as Lexi Bailey, Mia McAfoos (career-high) and Kate Davis all earned 72.5 points from the judges. Bailey and McAfoos were barely edged out by 0.5 points each while Davis fell by two points. Ava Newsom also made her collegiate debut for UT Martin in the event.
A pair of Skyhawks came away with draws in reining as Bailey (team-high 69 points) and Davis (64) each tied their head-to-head competitor. Schaefer equaled Bailey for a team-high with 69 points and was followed by Logan Putvinski (68.5) and Aubrey Malone (67).
In fences, Hott led the way with a score of 83 points. Kane followed with 80 points while Becker came closest to a UT Martin victory with a 76 but narrowly fell by a single point. Emmy Reed (74) and Vieau (career-high 71) rounded out the Skyhawk lineup.
UT Martin completes its season-opening road swing through Southeastern Conference territory tomorrow when it takes on No. 6 Georgia at 11 a.m. CST in Bishop, Ga.
Graphic courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information
