BROOKINGS, SD – Four separate University of Tennessee at Martin riders earned MOP accolades today as the No. 8 ranked Skyhawk equestrian squad started the 2024-25 campaign with a pair of meets at South Dakota State.
UT Martin narrowly fell by an 8-7 margin against No. 10 Fresno State before rebounding for a convincing 15-5 triumph over the Jackrabbits, an Eastern College Athletic Conference foe.
For the weekend, Logan Putvinski (68 points in reining) recorded MOP honors against Fresno State while Gabby Adams (career-high 85 points in flat), Lexi Bailey (74.5 points in horsemanship) and Elise Mason (career-best 72.5 points in reining) each achieved top MOP status against South Dakota State.
Kate Mills (fences), Bailey (horsemanship), Mia McAfoos (horsemanship), Kate Davis (reining), Aubrey Malone (reining), Putvinski (reining) each went 2-0 on the weekend while Bailey (1-0-1 in reining), Tess Kjellberg (1-0 in fences), Mills (1-0 in flat), Lillian Laney (1-0 in horsemanship) and Mason (1-0 in reining) also went undefeated in their respective events.
Against Fresno State, Putvinski tallied her fourth career MOP in reining as the Skyhawks combined to go 3-0-1 in that event. Bailey garnered a team-high 70.5 points on the way to a tie while Davis (68.5) and Malone (65.5 with a team-best 6.5-point margin of victory) led UT Martin.
Bailey’s 75 points and McAfoos’ 73 points were both good enough for victories in horsemanship. Davis (72.5 points) and Ava Newsom (71.5) also represented the Skyhawks in that event against the Bulldogs.
Audrey Morris (career-high 83 points in flat) and Mills (84 points in fences) accounted for UT Martin’s other team points against Fresno State. Emerson Maier set a career-high with 84 points in fences while Elizabeth Becker (78 points) and Adams (62) filled out the Skyhawk fences lineup. In flat, the trio of Adams (77 points), Becker (75) and Lydia Jordan represented UT Martin.
Six separate Skyhawks boasted career-high scores today against South Dakota State. UT Martin swept all five points in reining, paced by Mason’s first career MOP. Davis (71), Malone (68.5), Putvinski (68) and Bailey (67.5) were also responsible for head-to-head victories in that event.
The Skyhawks claimed four of five points in both horsemanship and fences. Bailey’s fourth career MOP in horsemanship led the way while Davis (team-best 75), McAfoos (74) and Laney (career-high 72) also came away with victories. In fences, Maier (84), Mills (83), Kjellberg (career-best 82) and Becker (78) all won their head-to-head matchups. Adams scored 78 points in fences and Newsom recorded 69.5 points in horsemanship for UT Martin.
In flat, Adams soared to a career-best 85 points on the way to her first career MOP in that event. Mills’ 75 was also good enough for a victory while Morris (72 points), Rileigh Weiss (72) and Jordan (60) completed the Skyhawk lineup.
UT Martin opens a season-long three-meet homestand with a matchup against ECAC foe UC Davis on Oct. 18. The Skyhawks will additionally collide against No. 5 Oklahoma State (Oct. 19) and No. 1 Auburn (Oct. 26) over a nine-day span.
