UT Martin Picks Up Three Eastern College Athletic Conference Rider Of The Week Honors
2/24/2026 3:18:00 PM | Equestrian
DANBURY, Conn. – After a weekend where the University of Tennessee at Martin equestrian squad swept a pair of Eastern College Athletic Conference foes, the league announced the Skyhawk trio of Kathleen DeGenova (flat), Kailyn Veale (horsemanship) and Abby Tibbits (reining) as its Riders of the Week.
UT Martin has now claimed 10 ECAC Rider of the Week accolades this season as this is Veale's second honor of the 2025-26 campaign. DeGenova and Tibbits are the eighth and ninth different Skyhawks to win an ECAC weekly award this season.
UT Martin defeated Delaware State and Minnesota-Crookston by identical 15-4 margins over the weekend in its final two home meets of 2025-26. The tandem of Tibbits (two), DeGenova (one) and Veale (one) combined for four of the seven Skyhawk MOP's.
DeGenova went a perfect 2-0 in flat, tallying her team-best fourth and fifth wins of the season. The senior from Cape May Court House, NJ came away with 78 points for a 10-point victory on Friday aboard Rose against Delaware State before coming away with a team-best 80 points on the way to MOP accolades aboard Finley on Saturday against Minnesota-Crookston. The MOP medal was the second of the year – a team-high – and was a nine-point win for DeGenova, who also went 2-0 over the weekend in fences. On the season, DeGenova not only ranks as the wins team leader in fences but also in flat (six victories).
Hailing from Ooltewah, Tenn., Veale also went 2-0 on the week in horsemanship. The senior accumulated 75 points against Delaware State (winning by six points aboard Luigi) on Friday and followed that with a career-best 81.5 points – a 12.5-point margin of victory – on the way to a MOP accolade on Jim against Minnesota-Crookston on Saturday. That MOP honor was the second of the season (team-high) for Veale as she earned her third and fourth wins of the 2025-26 campaign.
Tibbits swept both MOP accolades in reining during the weekend, coasting to scores of 77.5 points on Friday (winning by 9.5 points over her head-to-head competitor aboard Shiner) against Delaware State before a career-best 79-point tally on Saturday against Minnesota-Crookston, winning by two points on Cobra. The sophomore out of Elbert, Colo. nabbed her fifth and sixth victories of the season, which ranks as a team-high in that category alongside her team-best two MOP's.
UT Martin has three more meets left in the regular season, all taking place in California. The Skyhawks battle Fresno State (March 6), Baylor (March 6) and UC Davis (March 7) in a two-day span before heading to the ECAC Championship in Harrington, Del. on March 26-28.
UT Martin has now claimed 10 ECAC Rider of the Week accolades this season as this is Veale's second honor of the 2025-26 campaign. DeGenova and Tibbits are the eighth and ninth different Skyhawks to win an ECAC weekly award this season.
UT Martin defeated Delaware State and Minnesota-Crookston by identical 15-4 margins over the weekend in its final two home meets of 2025-26. The tandem of Tibbits (two), DeGenova (one) and Veale (one) combined for four of the seven Skyhawk MOP's.
DeGenova went a perfect 2-0 in flat, tallying her team-best fourth and fifth wins of the season. The senior from Cape May Court House, NJ came away with 78 points for a 10-point victory on Friday aboard Rose against Delaware State before coming away with a team-best 80 points on the way to MOP accolades aboard Finley on Saturday against Minnesota-Crookston. The MOP medal was the second of the year – a team-high – and was a nine-point win for DeGenova, who also went 2-0 over the weekend in fences. On the season, DeGenova not only ranks as the wins team leader in fences but also in flat (six victories).
Hailing from Ooltewah, Tenn., Veale also went 2-0 on the week in horsemanship. The senior accumulated 75 points against Delaware State (winning by six points aboard Luigi) on Friday and followed that with a career-best 81.5 points – a 12.5-point margin of victory – on the way to a MOP accolade on Jim against Minnesota-Crookston on Saturday. That MOP honor was the second of the season (team-high) for Veale as she earned her third and fourth wins of the 2025-26 campaign.
Tibbits swept both MOP accolades in reining during the weekend, coasting to scores of 77.5 points on Friday (winning by 9.5 points over her head-to-head competitor aboard Shiner) against Delaware State before a career-best 79-point tally on Saturday against Minnesota-Crookston, winning by two points on Cobra. The sophomore out of Elbert, Colo. nabbed her fifth and sixth victories of the season, which ranks as a team-high in that category alongside her team-best two MOP's.
UT Martin has three more meets left in the regular season, all taking place in California. The Skyhawks battle Fresno State (March 6), Baylor (March 6) and UC Davis (March 7) in a two-day span before heading to the ECAC Championship in Harrington, Del. on March 26-28.
Players Mentioned
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