DANBURY, Conn. – Seven different University of Tennessee at Martin equestrian riders combined for nine All-Eastern College Athletic Conference postseason awards, the league announced this evening at a banquet on the first day of the 2024 league championship event.
The Skyhawks accounted for two major awards as Emma Schaefer was named ECAC Reining Rider of the Year while Kate Mills brought home ECAC Freshman of the Year accolades in fences. Schaefer becomes only the sixth UT Martin rider (third in reining) to win a conference Rider of the Year award while Mills is the seventh Skyhawk representative (second in fences) to pick up a Freshman of the Year honor at the conference level.
UT Martin was responsible for six All-ECAC recipients, shattering a program record for most in a single season (breaking the record of five from last season). Sydney Hott (fences), Sophia Sundem (flat), Mia McAfoos (horsemanship), Lexi Bailey (horsemanship and reining) and Schaefer (reining) were voted as All-ECAC performers while Rileigh Weiss was additionally one of five members to receive an ECAC Sportsmanship Award.
Schaefer joins Hannah McDonald (2021 ECAC) and Noel Meadows (2019 United Equestrian Conference) as the only Skyhawks to win a conference Reining Rider of the Year award. The senior from New Virginia, Iowa has posted an 8-3-1 record and is 8-1-1 in her last 10 appearances. She achieved a team-high in both victories and MOP’s (three) as each of her MOP’s came during a seven-meet span – accomplishing that feat against South Dakota State on Oct. 12, against No. 5 Georgia on Oct. 28 and against No. 8 Delaware State on Feb. 9. She averaged 69.5 points per ride and her career-high of 73 points came on Nov. 18 against Delaware State. She was ECAC Reining Rider of the Week three times (Oct. 16, Oct. 30, Feb. 12) and was the ECAC Reining Rider of the Month for October.
A Charlotte, NC native, Mills joins Abbie Hopkins (2018 UEC) as the only UT Martin honorees to be named Freshman of the Year in fences. The collegiate rookie shined in her debut season, posting a 6-4 record – just one win shy of the team lead. She averaged 80.9 points per ride and garnered one MOP – winning that medal with 86 points in the regular season finale against Minnesota-Crookston. Her career-high of 87 points came against No. 9 UC Davis on Feb. 10 while she won ECAC Rider of the Week accolades in fences on Oct. 2.
Hott becomes just the fourth Skyhawk to win three all-conference nods in a career as she also nabbed All-ECAC fences and flat awards in 2022-23. The senior out of Defiance, Mo. topped UT Martin across the board with seven victories, two MOP’s (84 points against South Dakota State on Oct. 12, career-best 88 points against No. 8 Delaware State on Feb. 9) and an 82.2 scoring average. She also tied her career-high score with 88 points against No. 2 Auburn on Oct. 13, occurring during a midseason stretch where she won six of seven meets. She was ECAC Fences Rider of the Month for October and was the league’s Rider of the Week in fences on Oct. 16.
Hailing from Carlsbad, Calif., Sundem earns her first career All-ECAC award after the senior registered team-highs in wins (seven), MOP’s (two) and scoring average (80.4) in flat. Her career-best tally of 88 points came in both of her MOP efforts (Oct. 13 against No. 2 Auburn and March 1 against Minnesota-Crookston). She was dominant throughout the 2023-24 campaign, earning four ECAC Flat Rider of the Week mentions (Oct. 16, Oct. 30, Feb. 19, March 4) while also serving as the league’s Rider of the Month in flat for October.
McAfoos also claims All-ECAC status for the first time in her career. The junior from Alton, Ill. sported a team-best 73.3 horsemanship scoring average to go along with six victories and one MOP, the latter occurring in the regular season finale with 76 points against Minnesota-Crookston on March 1. She was remarkably consistent as she did not score lower than 71 all season, including a career-high score of 76.5 points against No. 9 UC Davis on Feb. 10. She was named ECAC Rider of the Week in horsemanship on March 4.
A junior out of Union Mills, Ind., Bailey joins Hott as the only Skyhawks to secure All-ECAC honors in multiple events during the same season. She is the team leader in horsemanship wins (seven, against only four losses with one draw) while posting one MOP (71.5 points against No. 9 UC Davis on Feb. 10) and a 72.6 scoring average in that event. Her season-high of 75.5 points came in back-to-back meets to close out the regular season (at No. 6 Auburn on Feb. 17, against Minnesota-Crookston on March 1) as she enters the postseason on a four-meet winning streak in that event. In reining, she ranks atop the squad in scoring average (69.5 points per ride) while going 7-1-4 overall – including an unbeaten streak (7-0-2) since Oct. 13. Her back-to-back MOP’s on Nov. 18 occurred against No. 8 Baylor (71 points) and Delaware State (career-high 74.5 points). She was a five-time ECAC Rider of the Week (horsemanship on Oct. 2, Oct. 30, Feb. 12 and Feb. 19, reining on Nov. 20) and was the ECAC Horsemanship Rider of the Month in February.
Weiss is a junior from Orlando, Fla. who is in her third season with the UT Martin equestrian program. This season, she has competed in four meets as a flat demo/exhibition rider and owns four career wins in that event. A National Collegiate Equestrian Association honor roll recipient last season, she is a two-time Ohio Valley Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll student-athlete and has claimed a spot on the UT Martin Athletic Director Honor Roll in all five semesters of her collegiate career.
The No. 1 seed Skyhawks open their participation in the 2024 ECAC Championship tomorrow when they take on No. 4 seed South Dakota State in the tournament semifinals at 1 p.m. CT in Rancho Murieta, Calif.
