UT MARTIN EQUESTRIAN BATTLES UNTIL THE BITTER END BUT NARROWLY FALLS 11-9 IN ECAC CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS

Saturday, March 26

Harrington, Del.

9 a.m.

UT Martin

SMU

Photo by: Haley Kane

UT MARTIN EQUESTRIAN BATTLES UNTIL THE BITTER END BUT NARROWLY FALLS 11-9 IN ECAC CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS

3/26/2022 7:51:00 PM | Equestrian

Results

HARRINGTON, Del. – The University of Tennessee at Martin equestrian squad put forth a courageous effort today in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship finals but came up just short, falling to SMU by a slim 11-9 margin.

Making a bid for their second equestrian conference championship in school history, the Skyhawks won three decisions in fences, flat and reining. However, ECAC top seed and national No. 7 ranked SMU swept all five points in horsemanship to claim the win.

For the second straight day, UT Martin junior Tyler Anderson accounted for MOP accolades in fences. The Novi, Mich. native was awarded a score of 171 by the judges, which was five points better than the next highest score.

Anderson's flat MOP was her fourth victory of the season. Julia Gilman (166 points) and Kelby Kane (142) also dialed up wins in fences for their ninth and 13^th wins, respectively, during the 2021-22 campaign. Haley Kane (126 points) and Elizabeth Becker (97) completed the Skyhawk lineup.

The UT Martin trio of Mahalia Alascio, Kelby Kane and Sophia Sundem completed perfect 2-0 weekends in flat. Alascio collected 158 points for her fourth win of the year while Kane (151) and Sundem (147.5) earned their eighth and fifth wins of the season, respectively. Haley Kane was responsible for a team-best 160.5 points but was unfortunately edged out by 0.5 points by her MOP opponent while Gilman also posted a solid score of 155 points but ran into some tough luck.

In reining, Logan Putvinski dialed up her team-high seventh win of the year after producing a score of 143 points. Lexi Bailey grabbed her third victory of the season following a 142.5-point effort while Aubrey Malone's 136 points were good enough to secure her fourth triumph of the 2021-22 campaign. Brooke Bradley registered a team-best 143.5 points while Kate Davis earned 139.5 points but both Skyhawks were up against the two highest scores of the event.

Davis notched a team-high 153 points in horsemanship but was narrowly defeated by three points. Paige Benson's 151 points was the next highest score for UT Martin as she was followed by Katelyn Schultz (144.5), Keely Seiter (144.5) and Emma Schaefer (130).

Currently ranked No. 9 in the nation, the Skyhawks will now have to wait and see if they qualify for the 2022 National Collegiate Equestrian Association Championship tournament, which will be held in Ocala, Fla. on April 14-16.