Skyhawks Wrangle Up Two ECAC Rider Of The Week Accolades
10/7/2025 2:38:00 PM | Equestrian
DANBURY, Conn. – The Eastern College Athletic Conference crowned its Riders of the Week today and a pair of University of Tennessee at Martin recipients were amongst those honored. Freshman Daphne Stavig was named ECAC Fences Rider of the Week while junior Elise Mason secured an ECAC Reining Rider of the Week award.
Stavig becomes the first Skyhawk freshman to win the league's top fences weekly accolade since her current teammate Payton Lussen on Feb. 11, 2025. Today's announcement marks the fourth career ECAC Reining Rider of the Week recognition for Mason, who additionally brought home this award three times (Oct. 22, Oct. 29, Feb. 25) in 2024-25.
An Oregon City, Ore. native, Stavig shined in her collegiate debut over the weekend. She collected 85 points aboard Archie, which topped her opponent from Minnesota-Crookston by 17 points. That performance garnered her an MOP medal as UT Martin went on to win its season-opening matchup against its ECAC rival by a 10-6 margin. She nearly came away with an unbeaten weekend but was one point away from tying her head-to-head opponent from South Dakota State on Saturday.
Mason was undefeated (1-0-1) with one MOP award during the Skyhawks' first two meets of the season. The Olympia, Wash. native posted 72.5 points aboard Lash against Minnesota-Crookston, nabbing MOP status after a four-point head-to-head win. In the weekend finale against South Dakota State, she accounted for the highest reining score on the squad (71.5) once again, tying her opponent aboard Snoop.
UT Martin's next two meets both take place at the Ned McWherter Agricultural Complex as the Skyhawks will host South Dakota State (Oct. 31) and No. 2 South Carolina (Nov. 1).
Stavig becomes the first Skyhawk freshman to win the league's top fences weekly accolade since her current teammate Payton Lussen on Feb. 11, 2025. Today's announcement marks the fourth career ECAC Reining Rider of the Week recognition for Mason, who additionally brought home this award three times (Oct. 22, Oct. 29, Feb. 25) in 2024-25.
An Oregon City, Ore. native, Stavig shined in her collegiate debut over the weekend. She collected 85 points aboard Archie, which topped her opponent from Minnesota-Crookston by 17 points. That performance garnered her an MOP medal as UT Martin went on to win its season-opening matchup against its ECAC rival by a 10-6 margin. She nearly came away with an unbeaten weekend but was one point away from tying her head-to-head opponent from South Dakota State on Saturday.
Mason was undefeated (1-0-1) with one MOP award during the Skyhawks' first two meets of the season. The Olympia, Wash. native posted 72.5 points aboard Lash against Minnesota-Crookston, nabbing MOP status after a four-point head-to-head win. In the weekend finale against South Dakota State, she accounted for the highest reining score on the squad (71.5) once again, tying her opponent aboard Snoop.
UT Martin's next two meets both take place at the Ned McWherter Agricultural Complex as the Skyhawks will host South Dakota State (Oct. 31) and No. 2 South Carolina (Nov. 1).
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