BLYTHEWOOD, SC – The University of Tennessee at Martin equestrian squad took to the road for a top-10 matchup against South Carolina today, battling throughout before falling 11-7 to the No. 7 ranked Gamecocks.
Senior Mia McAfoos notched her team-best eighth win and fourth MOP in horsemanship today as the Alton, Ill. native equaled a career-high with 76.5 points. Senior teammates Elizabeth Becker (Jumping Seat) and Kate Davis (Western) also had productive days with a pair of wins in each of their respective disciplines.
Ranked No. 10 in the latest National Collegiate Equestrian Association poll, the Skyhawks won three out of five points in horsemanship and went 2-2-1 in reining. UT Martin added a win and tie in flat while tacking on another head-to-head victory in fences.
McAfoos’ dominant score paved the way for the Skyhawks in horsemanship. Kate Davis secured her fifth win of the season with a 75.5-point effort while Lillian Laney’s score of 72 won by 7.5 points and led to her seventh victory in 2024-25. Lexi Bailey (66.5 points) and Ava Newson (51.5) also represented UT Martin in the event.
In reining, Logan Putvinski emerged victorious for the 10th time in 12 opportunities this season as the senior from Knoxville, Tenn. won by six points with a 70.5 tally. Davis’ season-high 72-point ride was good enough for her fifth consecutive victory as she outscored her head-to-head competitor by a 72-0 margin. Bailey managed a tie with 72.5 points while Aubrey Malone (70.5 points, lost by two points) and Elise Mason (67.5) completed the Skyhawk lineup.
Becker was responsible for 78 points in flat, leading to her fifth win of the 2024-25 campaign. Gabby Adams’ 75-point effort led to a tie while Bridget Vieau (72 points), Rileigh Weiss (72) and Payton Lussen (66) rounded out UT Martin’s scoring five in the event.
Claiming her team-best seventh win of the season in fences was Becker as the Grosse Pointe, Mich. native piled up a score of 80 – winning by a comfortable 15-point margin. Kate Mills collected a team-high 84 points but narrowly fell by two points. Adams and Vieau each managed scores of 74 points while Emerson Maier produced a score of 71.
The Skyhawks will now turn their attention to the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship as the tournament will take place on the UT Martin campus. Five teams will combine for four meets over the course of three days (March 27-29) at the Ned McWherter Agricultural Complex.
