MARTIN, Tenn. – Currently ranked No. 8 in the National Collegiate Equestrian Association poll, the University of Tennessee at Martin has earned the top seed and first-round bye in the upcoming Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship, held in Rancho Murieta, Calif.
The tournament begins tomorrow as No. 4 seed South Dakota State will battle No. 5 seed Minnesota-Crookston in the opening round. The winner will advance to take on the Skyhawks in the semifinals, scheduled for 1 p.m. CT on Tuesday, March 26. No. 2 seed (and event host) UC Davis will also take on No. 3 seed Delaware State in the other semifinal for the right to advance to the championship meet, held on Wednesday, March 27 at 10 a.m. CT.
Three-time defending ECAC reserve champion UT Martin went 4-1 in conference play in 2023-24, defeating each of the four teams in this year’s tournament field. The Skyhawks earned the No. 1 seed in the ECAC Championship for the second consecutive season and have been ranked in all 18 NCEA top-10 polls in 2023-24.
In fences, five UT Martin riders have combined for 26 wins while four of those have reeled off five MOP’s. Sydney Hott leads the Skyhawks in victories (seven), MOP’s (two) and scoring average (82.2).
Sophia Sundem’s seven victories top the UT Martin flat lineup, which has included five riders to join forces for 22 head-to-head wins. Three Skyhawks have also combined to bring home four MOP’s as Sundem also tops the squad in that category (two) plus scoring average (80.4).
UT Martin’s horsemanship team includes 25 wins from five different riders while four separate Skyhawks (Ava Newsom, Emma Schaefer, Lexi Bailey, Mia McAfoos) have each received one MOP apiece. Bailey’s seven victories are the most on the team while McAfoos leads the way in scoring average (73.3).
In reining, five UT Martin riders have combined for 30 wins while three of those riders have collected seven MOP’s. Schaefer paces the Skyhawks in victories (eight) and MOP’s (three) while Bailey’s 69.5 scoring average is the best mark on the squad.
For more information on the 2024 ECAC Championship, including full schedule breakdowns, links to live video streams and live stats, click on the Championship Central webpage here: https://ucdavisaggies.com/sports/2024/3/6/2024-ecac-dual-discipline-equestrian-championship.aspx.
