UT Martin Competes Throughout But Narrowly Falls In ECAC Championship Semifinals

Friday, March 27

Harrington, Del.

8 a.m.

UT Martin

South Dakota State

UT Martin Competes Throughout But Narrowly Falls In ECAC Championship Semifinals

3/27/2026 10:42:00 PM | Equestrian

Results

HARRINGTON, Del. – Today's Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship semifinal was tightly contested throughout as the University of Tennessee at Martin equestrian squad put up a fight but fell by a slim 10-9 margin to South Dakota State.

Seeded third one season after claiming their first ECAC championship in program history, the Skyhawks claimed three points in fences, three victories in reining, two triumphs (and a tie) in horsemanship and one win in flat. Individually, Ava Jo Glenn picked up her second MOP of the season in horsemanship with a 73.5-point performance aboard Delta.

In reining, Stevie Brown collected her team-best seventh victory after scoring 66 points. Two rides later, All-ECAC performer Payton Bundy matched Brown with her team-high seventh win after a score of 63.25 points. Claire Carpenter tacked on her sixth triumph of the season with a team-best 66.75 score, defeating her head-to-head competitor by 9.25 points. Elise Mason (64.75 points) and Abby Tibbits also represented UT Martin in the event.

The Skyhawk Jumping Seat discipline was guided by a strong effort in fences. Averey Pritchard generated her team-high seventh win of the season following a score of 77.5 points. Audrey Morris earned her third victory of 2025-26 with an 83-point performance before Caroline Krier garnered her second win in as many starts after a career-best 84.5 points for a 15.5-point margin of victory. Kathleen DeGenova and All-ECAC honoree Kate Mills tallied scores of 78.5 and 83.5, respectively, for UT Martin.

The Skyhawks were unbeaten (2-0-1) through the first three decisions of horsemanship as Olivia Wynn (seventh win of the season with 73.75 points) and Glenn (MOP of 73.5 points for her sixth victory of 2025-26) emerged victorious. All-ECAC recipient Ruby Gunderson's 69.75 points were then good enough for a tie. Ava Newsom (65.5 points) and All-ECAC honoree Kailyn Veale (68.5 points) completed the scoring lineup for UT Martin.

Mills' score of 83 in flat was the first team point awarded as it was her fifth triumph of the season. All-ECAC performer DeGenova (68.5 points), Lydia Jordan (74), Shelby Davis (69) and Camille Panuwat (71.5) additionally put forth solid efforts while earning a start for the Skyhawks.

Today's result wraps up the 2025-26 UT Martin equestrian season as the Skyhawks accounted for another remarkable campaign under head coach Kim Leiter-Janes. Nationally ranked for a pair of weeks in the fall, UT Martin saw six of its riders recognized with ECAC postseason mentions and had 13 total Skyhawk representatives combine to win 11 ECAC Rider of the Week awards, five ECAC monthly accolades and one NCEA Rider of the Month honor.