SKYHAWK EQUESTRIAN PROGRAM RELOADS WITH 13 FRESHMAN SIGNEES FOR 2019-20 CAMPAIGN
11/27/2018 1:47:00 PM | Equestrian
MARTIN, Tenn. – Meghan Cunningham Corvin, the University of Tennessee at Martin head equestrian coach, has announced 13 newcomers to the 2019-20 Skyhawk roster. Mahalia Alascio, Paige Benson, Erin Bledsoe, Chloe Collins, Julia Gilman, Megan Huber, Lizzy McCrady, Chloe Murt, Bella Raux, Casey Ruggiero, Keely Seiter, Hallie Thomas and Grace York will all join the Skyhawks as freshmen next fall.
"We are excited to announce such a large, talented group for 2019," Corvin said. "There is a tremendous amount of experience that has competed at the top level in both AQHA and US Equestrian events that has committed to UT Martin for the coming year. It is exciting to see so many with experience in IEA as well – which is equestrian association at the high school level. These student-athletes are already competing in a team atmosphere and will add to the already cohesive group of student-athletes on campus."
A native of Annapolis, Md., Alascio placed in the top-six in both the MHSA Gitting's Horsemanship Medal Finals and in the USHJA Zone 3 Medal Finals. Serving as her IEA team captain, she added a reserve championship at the WIHS Locals Weekend while also finishing in the top-eight at the MHSA Hunt Seat on Horses Medal Finals. The Annapolis High School product was also part of the Patuxent Run IEA team regional championship squad in 2017.
Benson joins the Skyhawks out of Valley Christian High School in Spokane, Wash. She was a circuit champion in Big A Western Pleasure and also earned a top-5 finish at the NSBA World Show in Western Pleasure. She was a reserve circuit champion in the Hunter Under Saddle Sun Circuit and was also an ABRA reserve champion in horsemanship. In addition, she placed in the top-15 in the NSBA World Show in horsemanship.
Hailing from Lynnville, Tenn., Bledsoe is a two-time NRCHA Celebration of Champions qualifier out of Richland High School. She was an AQHA Level 1 Youth Working Cowhorse champion and was also a AQHYA World Show Level 3 Working Cowhorse finalist in 2018. Also this past year, she claimed fifth place honors at the AQHYA World Show Level 2 Working Cowhorse event and was the East Coast Reined Cowhorse Classic 1K champion.
Collins comes to UT Martin from Charlotte Catholic High School in Charlotte, NC. Serving as co-captain of the 2018 Varsity IEA team, she earned a reserve championship at the NCHJA children's medal finals. She also boasts a circuit championship victory at the Tryon International for the 1.0m while also placing eighth at the 1.0m zone finals in 2016.
A Barrington, Ill. native, Gilman is an accomplished Hunter Seat rider out of Barrington High School. She placed second in the IHJA medal finals in 2015 and has tallied multiple top placings in the 15-17 age group. She also produced a top-eight finish in the Midwest Marshall and Sterling Finals in 2018 and a top-12 finish in the IHJA Junior Medal Finals. In addition, she qualified for the Sore No More Medal Finals.
Huber hails from Santa Clarita, Calif. and is wrapping up her Hunter Seat career at Saugus High School. This year, she has racked up championships in the 15-17 3'0 Equitation Division and the 3'3" Performance Hunter Reserve at the Verdugo Hills League Preview as well as first-place honors at the Free Rein Equitation class at the Huntington Beach Summer Classic. She also was a Low A-0/Junior Hunters 3'3" reserve champion at the 2017 Camelot Summer Show and was a 0.70 Jumpers Division champion at the Santa Barbara National Horse Show in 2015.
A native of Marietta, Ga., McCrady attended the prestigious Maclay Finals in 2018 and also attended the Maclay Regionals in 2017. Last year, the Lassiter High School attendee placed fifth in the flat phase at the USHJA Jumping Seat Finals, During her pony years, she finished fourth over fences and 15th overall at the Pony Finals.
Murt will join the Skyhawk program from Marshall County High School, as the Calvert City, Ky. native is coming off a spectacular 2018 year. She was an ASPCA Maclay finalist, a USEF Medal finalist and a USHJA Jumping Seat medal finalist during this past year. She also was a participant in the 2018 Emerging Athletes Program.
A Utica, NY native, Raux has tallied multiple top finishes in her Hunter Seat career. She dialed up AQHA Level 1 championships in Working Hunter and Hunter Hack events. She also produced a pair of top-10 finishes at IEA Nationals (third and seventh) while earning a seventh-place finish at the Congress in Youth Hunter Hack.
Ruggiero is currently attending HB Woodlawn Secondary Program school in Arlington, Va. She placed on the flat at Zone 3 IEA Finals, finishing as overall reserve champion in the Pre-Collegiate Equitation League. An active member of the Washington International Horse Show Junior Committee since 2017, she also placed well at the A/AA circuit shows in hunters, jumpers and equitation.
A Western rider out of Kansas City, Mo., Seiter has generated 20 first-place titles and a pair of High Point Championships at the last two PtHA Color Breed Congress Shows. The Park Hill South High School product was the 2018 ABRA World Show Youth (14-18) High Point champion and Open High Point champion. She owns 10 Individual World Champion titles and 20 Reserve World Champion titles in the ABRA and PtHA ranks. She participated in the 2017 ABRA World Show as the Youth High Point Champion and was elected ABRA National Youth Representative. She was also a NSBA World Show top-5 finalist in Western riding and horsemanship and was the year-end youth reining champion
Thomas currently attends South Carroll High School and is a Westminster, Md. native. She finished in the top-10 in the Josey Mohler Equitation final and was a Gittings horsemanship finalist. She nabbed a Congress championship in equitation over fences and was a NSBA reserve world champion in equitation over fences. Additionally, she was a two-time Congress reserve champion in equitation on the flat.
Hailing from Lake Orion, Mich., York will join UT Martin out of Lake Orion High School. She qualified for the 3'3" Jumping Seat Medal Finals at the 2018 Capital Challenge while also placing third in the HJAM year-end award low children's jumpers this year. Boasting multiple Taylor Harris Insurance Medals and ASPCA Maclay wins and ribbons over the past two years, she placed sixth in the HJAM Limit Medal Finals in 2017 and claimed 11th place in the USEF Pony Finals large green under saddle in 2015.
"We are excited to announce such a large, talented group for 2019," Corvin said. "There is a tremendous amount of experience that has competed at the top level in both AQHA and US Equestrian events that has committed to UT Martin for the coming year. It is exciting to see so many with experience in IEA as well – which is equestrian association at the high school level. These student-athletes are already competing in a team atmosphere and will add to the already cohesive group of student-athletes on campus."
A native of Annapolis, Md., Alascio placed in the top-six in both the MHSA Gitting's Horsemanship Medal Finals and in the USHJA Zone 3 Medal Finals. Serving as her IEA team captain, she added a reserve championship at the WIHS Locals Weekend while also finishing in the top-eight at the MHSA Hunt Seat on Horses Medal Finals. The Annapolis High School product was also part of the Patuxent Run IEA team regional championship squad in 2017.
Benson joins the Skyhawks out of Valley Christian High School in Spokane, Wash. She was a circuit champion in Big A Western Pleasure and also earned a top-5 finish at the NSBA World Show in Western Pleasure. She was a reserve circuit champion in the Hunter Under Saddle Sun Circuit and was also an ABRA reserve champion in horsemanship. In addition, she placed in the top-15 in the NSBA World Show in horsemanship.
Hailing from Lynnville, Tenn., Bledsoe is a two-time NRCHA Celebration of Champions qualifier out of Richland High School. She was an AQHA Level 1 Youth Working Cowhorse champion and was also a AQHYA World Show Level 3 Working Cowhorse finalist in 2018. Also this past year, she claimed fifth place honors at the AQHYA World Show Level 2 Working Cowhorse event and was the East Coast Reined Cowhorse Classic 1K champion.
Collins comes to UT Martin from Charlotte Catholic High School in Charlotte, NC. Serving as co-captain of the 2018 Varsity IEA team, she earned a reserve championship at the NCHJA children's medal finals. She also boasts a circuit championship victory at the Tryon International for the 1.0m while also placing eighth at the 1.0m zone finals in 2016.
A Barrington, Ill. native, Gilman is an accomplished Hunter Seat rider out of Barrington High School. She placed second in the IHJA medal finals in 2015 and has tallied multiple top placings in the 15-17 age group. She also produced a top-eight finish in the Midwest Marshall and Sterling Finals in 2018 and a top-12 finish in the IHJA Junior Medal Finals. In addition, she qualified for the Sore No More Medal Finals.
Huber hails from Santa Clarita, Calif. and is wrapping up her Hunter Seat career at Saugus High School. This year, she has racked up championships in the 15-17 3'0 Equitation Division and the 3'3" Performance Hunter Reserve at the Verdugo Hills League Preview as well as first-place honors at the Free Rein Equitation class at the Huntington Beach Summer Classic. She also was a Low A-0/Junior Hunters 3'3" reserve champion at the 2017 Camelot Summer Show and was a 0.70 Jumpers Division champion at the Santa Barbara National Horse Show in 2015.
A native of Marietta, Ga., McCrady attended the prestigious Maclay Finals in 2018 and also attended the Maclay Regionals in 2017. Last year, the Lassiter High School attendee placed fifth in the flat phase at the USHJA Jumping Seat Finals, During her pony years, she finished fourth over fences and 15th overall at the Pony Finals.
Murt will join the Skyhawk program from Marshall County High School, as the Calvert City, Ky. native is coming off a spectacular 2018 year. She was an ASPCA Maclay finalist, a USEF Medal finalist and a USHJA Jumping Seat medal finalist during this past year. She also was a participant in the 2018 Emerging Athletes Program.
A Utica, NY native, Raux has tallied multiple top finishes in her Hunter Seat career. She dialed up AQHA Level 1 championships in Working Hunter and Hunter Hack events. She also produced a pair of top-10 finishes at IEA Nationals (third and seventh) while earning a seventh-place finish at the Congress in Youth Hunter Hack.
Ruggiero is currently attending HB Woodlawn Secondary Program school in Arlington, Va. She placed on the flat at Zone 3 IEA Finals, finishing as overall reserve champion in the Pre-Collegiate Equitation League. An active member of the Washington International Horse Show Junior Committee since 2017, she also placed well at the A/AA circuit shows in hunters, jumpers and equitation.
A Western rider out of Kansas City, Mo., Seiter has generated 20 first-place titles and a pair of High Point Championships at the last two PtHA Color Breed Congress Shows. The Park Hill South High School product was the 2018 ABRA World Show Youth (14-18) High Point champion and Open High Point champion. She owns 10 Individual World Champion titles and 20 Reserve World Champion titles in the ABRA and PtHA ranks. She participated in the 2017 ABRA World Show as the Youth High Point Champion and was elected ABRA National Youth Representative. She was also a NSBA World Show top-5 finalist in Western riding and horsemanship and was the year-end youth reining champion
Thomas currently attends South Carroll High School and is a Westminster, Md. native. She finished in the top-10 in the Josey Mohler Equitation final and was a Gittings horsemanship finalist. She nabbed a Congress championship in equitation over fences and was a NSBA reserve world champion in equitation over fences. Additionally, she was a two-time Congress reserve champion in equitation on the flat.
Hailing from Lake Orion, Mich., York will join UT Martin out of Lake Orion High School. She qualified for the 3'3" Jumping Seat Medal Finals at the 2018 Capital Challenge while also placing third in the HJAM year-end award low children's jumpers this year. Boasting multiple Taylor Harris Insurance Medals and ASPCA Maclay wins and ribbons over the past two years, she placed sixth in the HJAM Limit Medal Finals in 2017 and claimed 11th place in the USEF Pony Finals large green under saddle in 2015.
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