WACO, Texas – The first set of National Collegiate Equestrian Association top-10 rankings were unveiled this evening as the selection committee slotted the University of Tennessee at Martin at No. 8.
TCU claimed the top spot in the official preseason rankings while the top-five was rounded out by No. 2 SMU, No. 3 Texas A&M, No. 4 Oklahoma State and No. 5 Auburn. Georgia checked in at No. 6 while South Carolina was voted No. 7. Following the Skyhawks were No. 9 Delaware State and No. 10 Fresno State.
UT Martin was ranked in all 19 NCEA top-10 polls in 2023-24, peaking at No. 8 for five consecutive weeks to close out the regular season. The four-time defending Eastern College Athletic Conference reserve champions tout 29 returners, including 15 Western riders and 14 Jumping Seat performers.
Amongst the top returners are NCEA reining first team All-American Lexi Bailey (eight head-to-head wins, three MOP’s), All-ECAC honorees Sophia Sundem (nine victories, two MOP’s in flat) and Mia McAfoos (seven horsemanship wins) as well as 2023-24 ECAC Fences Freshman of the Year Kate Mills.
Those four will join an experienced core of Kate Davis (32 wins, eight MOP’s in her Western career), Logan Putvinski (22 career victories, three MOP’s in reining), Elizabeth Becker (21 wins in her Jumping Seat career) and Aubrey Malone (10 victories, two MOP’s in reining) as Skyhawk returners who have recorded double-digit victories in their collegiate careers.
A dozen UT Martin freshmen (seven Jumping Seat, five Western) are additionally welcomed into the fold for 2024-25 under three-time ECAC Coach of the Year Kim Leiter.
The Skyhawks will hold an intrasquad Blue and Orange Scrimmage on Saturday, Sept. 28 before officially opening the 2024-25 season in Brookings, SD against South Dakota State and Fresno State on back-to-back days (Oct. 4-5).
