MARTIN, Tenn. – It came down to the final two rides today at the Ned McWherter Agricultural Complex today as the University of Tennessee at Martin equestrian squad came close to an upset before No. 2 Auburn escaped with a slim 11-9 win.
The No. 10 ranked Skyhawks claimed a pair of MOP’s today as Sophia Sundem (flat) and Emma Schaefer (horsemanship) were rewarded by the judges for their remarkable efforts.
UT Martin dialed up three wins in flat, three victories in horsemanship, two wins in reining and one triumph in fences. Back-to-back wins in reining equaled the overall score at 9-all with a pair of rides pending before the undefeated Tigers nabbed both remaining points.
Sundem’s 88 points were good enough for her second career flat MOP and team-best third victory of the 2023-24 campaign. Sydney Hott set a season-high with 86 points on the way to her co-team-high third win of the season while Haley Kane’s season-best 79 points also led to a victory. Bridget Vieau (86 points) and Elizabeth Becker (82 points) were each responsible for career-high point tallies to complete the Skyhawk lineup.
Setting the tone in horsemanship was Schaefer, who came away with a season-best 75.5 points for her third career MOP in that event. Mia McAfoos unreeled a career-high 73.5 points for her second consecutive win while Kate Davis also improved to 2-0 on the week with a 73-point performance. Lexi Bailey and Ava Newsom rounded out UT Martin’s lineup with 72.5 and 69.5 points, respectively.
A pair of Skyhawks managed career-high scores in fences, led by a head-to-head victory out of Hott (88 points). Kate Mills scored a career-best 83 points but narrowly fell by one point while Kane and Becker each accounted for 78 points apiece. Gabby Adams tallied 73 points as the fifth member of the UT Martin lineup.
Those three events set the stage for a dramatic finish in reining. Bailey achieved a season-high 69.5 points to garner the Skyhawks’ first victory in the event. Schaefer compiled her second consecutive win with 69 points on the next ride to knot the score at 9-9. Unfortunately, UT Martin’s Aubrey Malone (69.5 points) and Davis (season-high 69 points) were edged out by 0.5 points and one point, respectively. Logan Putvinski also took part in the reining lineup today for the Skyhawks.
UT Martin returns to the arena with a pair of home meets against ranked opposition in two weeks. The Skyhawks will host current No. 1 TCU on Friday, Oct. 27 before squaring off against No. 7 Georgia on Saturday, Oct. 28.
