MARTIN, Tenn. – For the second time in as many days, the No. 10 University of Tennessee at Martin equestrian team knocked off a nationally ranked opponent as the Skyhawks collected an impressive 10-8 win against No. 9 UC Davis this evening.
With the win, UT Martin improves to 3-1 in the Eastern College Athletic Conference standings. The Skyhawks trailed by a 7-6 margin going into the final event of the night but the reining lineup came through with four points to give UT Martin the victory.
The Skyhawks added two wins each in fences, flat and horsemanship – adding two ties in the latter event.
On an individual front, junior Lexi Bailey was responsible for her first MOP of the season in horsemanship. Her 71.5 points also led to her co-team-high fifth victory of the 2023-24 campaign in that event.
Emma Schaefer’s team-best seventh victory (70.5 points) in reining highlighted UT Martin’s success in that event. Bailey (69.5) and Logan Putvinski (67) picked up their sixth wins of the season while Kate Davis’ 69 points claimed her third victory of the season. Aubrey Malone also represented the Skyhawks with 67.5 points.
In horsemanship, McAfoos set a career-high with 76.5 points to equal MOP winner Bailey with her team-best fifth victory of the season. Davis (career-high 75.5) and Schaefer (74) tied their head-to-head competitors while Ava Newsom (68.5) was additionally part of UT Martin’s lineup.
Kate Mills accounted for a career-best 87 in fences, directly leading to the fourth win of her freshman season. Freshman teammate Gabby Adams also secured her third victory of the season with 80 points while Haley Kane (career-best 88), Sydney Hott (84) and Elizabeth Becker (68) rounded out the Skyhawk scoring.
A career-high tally of 86 points in flat resulted in a victory for Becker while Bridget Vieau notched a win after an 82-point effort. UT Martin also produced scores of 81 from Hott, 79 out of Kane and 72 from Sophia Sundem.
The Skyhawks return to action next Saturday, Feb. 17 when they head to Auburn, Ala. for meets against No. 5 Auburn and Bridgewater.
