Photo by: UT Martin University Relations
NO. 10 UT MARTIN EQUESTRIAN RAMPS UP 2023-24 CAMPAIGN THIS WEEK WITH PAIR OF NATIONALLY RANKED MATCHUPS
9/27/2023 2:03:00 PM | Equestrian
MARTIN, Tenn. – Almost exactly six months after the University of Tennessee at Martin equestrian program wrapped up another successful season, the Skyhawks are back at it this week as the 2023-24 slate starts on Friday, Sept. 29.
UT Martin begins its 13-meet regular season slate at No. 8 South Carolina on Friday before heading to No. 6 Georgia on Sept. 30. A lengthy homestand follows as the Skyhawks' home and Eastern College Athletic Conference opener is set for Oct. 12 against South Dakota State. UT Martin is then set to host three consecutive currently ranked teams in No. 2 Auburn (Oct. 13), No. 1 TCU (Oct. 27) and No. 6 Georgia (Oct. 28). The fall portion of the schedule concludes with a trip to Felton, Del. on Nov. 17-18 to take on No. 7 Baylor and ECAC foe Delaware State.
Five meets dot the Skyhawks' spring slate, beginning with home matchups against ECAC rivals Delaware State (Feb. 9) and current No. 9 UC Davis (Feb. 10). UT Martin then travels south for a neutral-site ECAC matchup against Bridgewater and current No. 2 Auburn on Feb. 17. The regular season finale is on March 1 with a Senior Day home meet against Minnesota-Crookston.
This year's ECAC Championship event is set for March 25-27 in Davis, Calif. For the third consecutive season, the National Collegiate Equestrian Association Championships will take place at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Fla. as this year's event is scheduled for April 18-20.
The Skyhawks are coming off a seven-win season (including ECAC scrimmages and exhibitions), which included an unblemished 3-0 mark in league competition. UT Martin nabbed its third straight ECAC reserve championship a year ago as defending ECAC Coach of the Year Kim Leiter returns 22 riders from that squad – 14 of whom started at one point last season.
Headlining the returners is junior Logan Putvinski, who chalked up NCEA All-American second team honors in reining last season. The Knoxville, Tenn. native paced UT Martin with seven wins in 11 chances to go along with a team-best 70.4 scoring average. She owns 14 career victories and three MOP's in reining in her first two seasons as a Skyhawk.
Counting Putvinski, all six UT Martin riders who made a start in reining last season are back in 2023-24. That list includes Kate Davis (tying Putvinski with a team-high seven wins last season), Lexi Bailey (four victories, team-best two MOP's), Aubrey Malone (three wins, one MOP), Emma Schaefer (three victories, one MOP in the final five meets last season) and Marci Leath (one win against No. 6 Auburn as a true freshman).
Davis and Bailey each shared the team lead with five victories and two MOP's apiece last year in horsemanship. They join Schaefer (seven career wins, two MOP's) as the only Skyhawk returners who started in horsemanship in 2022-23.
In Jumping Seat, Sydney Hott returns for her senior campaign after claiming All-ECAC honors in both fences and flat a season ago. Starting all 14 meets in both events, the Defiance, Mo. native registering team-highs in MOP's (three) and regular season scoring average (81.1) with eight victories in fences to go along with a team-best two MOP's and six wins in flat.
The Jumping Seat roster also received a big lift when Haley Kane (32 wins, six MOP's in her career in both events) decided to return for her graduate season. She and Hott join Elizabeth Becker (seven victories in 2022-23) and Emmy Reed (three starts, career-best 84 points in a head-to-head win over No. 7 South Carolina last season) as returners who started in fences.
In flat, Sophia Sundem (five victories), Rileigh Weiss (four wins), Ava Laplante (2-0 record as a starter) and Bridget Vieau (three starts, career-high 82 points at Delaware State last year) join the tandem of Hott and Kane as returners with starting experience in 2022-23.
A total of 15 freshmen are set to make their UT Martin debuts this season as Leiter and reigning ECAC Assistant Coach of the Year Caitlin Marshall brought in a star-studded recruiting class.
UT Martin begins its 13-meet regular season slate at No. 8 South Carolina on Friday before heading to No. 6 Georgia on Sept. 30. A lengthy homestand follows as the Skyhawks' home and Eastern College Athletic Conference opener is set for Oct. 12 against South Dakota State. UT Martin is then set to host three consecutive currently ranked teams in No. 2 Auburn (Oct. 13), No. 1 TCU (Oct. 27) and No. 6 Georgia (Oct. 28). The fall portion of the schedule concludes with a trip to Felton, Del. on Nov. 17-18 to take on No. 7 Baylor and ECAC foe Delaware State.
Five meets dot the Skyhawks' spring slate, beginning with home matchups against ECAC rivals Delaware State (Feb. 9) and current No. 9 UC Davis (Feb. 10). UT Martin then travels south for a neutral-site ECAC matchup against Bridgewater and current No. 2 Auburn on Feb. 17. The regular season finale is on March 1 with a Senior Day home meet against Minnesota-Crookston.
This year's ECAC Championship event is set for March 25-27 in Davis, Calif. For the third consecutive season, the National Collegiate Equestrian Association Championships will take place at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Fla. as this year's event is scheduled for April 18-20.
The Skyhawks are coming off a seven-win season (including ECAC scrimmages and exhibitions), which included an unblemished 3-0 mark in league competition. UT Martin nabbed its third straight ECAC reserve championship a year ago as defending ECAC Coach of the Year Kim Leiter returns 22 riders from that squad – 14 of whom started at one point last season.
Headlining the returners is junior Logan Putvinski, who chalked up NCEA All-American second team honors in reining last season. The Knoxville, Tenn. native paced UT Martin with seven wins in 11 chances to go along with a team-best 70.4 scoring average. She owns 14 career victories and three MOP's in reining in her first two seasons as a Skyhawk.
Counting Putvinski, all six UT Martin riders who made a start in reining last season are back in 2023-24. That list includes Kate Davis (tying Putvinski with a team-high seven wins last season), Lexi Bailey (four victories, team-best two MOP's), Aubrey Malone (three wins, one MOP), Emma Schaefer (three victories, one MOP in the final five meets last season) and Marci Leath (one win against No. 6 Auburn as a true freshman).
Davis and Bailey each shared the team lead with five victories and two MOP's apiece last year in horsemanship. They join Schaefer (seven career wins, two MOP's) as the only Skyhawk returners who started in horsemanship in 2022-23.
In Jumping Seat, Sydney Hott returns for her senior campaign after claiming All-ECAC honors in both fences and flat a season ago. Starting all 14 meets in both events, the Defiance, Mo. native registering team-highs in MOP's (three) and regular season scoring average (81.1) with eight victories in fences to go along with a team-best two MOP's and six wins in flat.
The Jumping Seat roster also received a big lift when Haley Kane (32 wins, six MOP's in her career in both events) decided to return for her graduate season. She and Hott join Elizabeth Becker (seven victories in 2022-23) and Emmy Reed (three starts, career-best 84 points in a head-to-head win over No. 7 South Carolina last season) as returners who started in fences.
In flat, Sophia Sundem (five victories), Rileigh Weiss (four wins), Ava Laplante (2-0 record as a starter) and Bridget Vieau (three starts, career-high 82 points at Delaware State last year) join the tandem of Hott and Kane as returners with starting experience in 2022-23.
A total of 15 freshmen are set to make their UT Martin debuts this season as Leiter and reigning ECAC Assistant Coach of the Year Caitlin Marshall brought in a star-studded recruiting class.
Players Mentioned
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Jumping Seat
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Jumping Seat
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Jumping Seat
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Jumping Seat
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Western
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Western
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Western
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Jumping Seat
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Western
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Jumping Seat
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Jumping Seat
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Jumping Seat
/ EquestrianTuesday, March 24
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