By Ryne Rickman, UT Martin Sports Information Director
MARTIN, Tenn. – Several members of the University of Tennessee at Martin equestrian squad accounted for impressive performances Friday but ultimately the No. 10 ranked Skyhawks came up just short, falling 10-9 to No. 7 South Carolina at the Ned McWherter Agricultural Pavilion.
UT Martin registered a pair of MOP’s today as Julia Gilman (fences) and Lexi Bailey (reining) each turned in career-high scores in their respective events. Gilman collected 88 points aboard Rafiki while Bailey’s 70 points on Shiner were good enough for the first MOP of the season for both Skyhawk riders.
As a team, UT Martin won the flat and reining portions by 3-2 scores Friday. The Skyhawks and Gamecocks split by a 2-2 margin in fences while UT Martin added one win in horsemanship.
The best ride in fences was saved for last as Gilman’s 88-point effort resulted in the tie in team scoring. Emmy Reed additionally set a career-high in scoring with 84 points on the way to her first victory of the 2022-23 campaign. Haley Kane’s 85 points tied her head-to-head competitor while Elizabeth Becker (79 points) and Sydney Hott (73) also represented the Skyhawks.
Bailey’s MOP performance led the way for UT Martin in reining as the Skyhawks outscored South Carolina in raw score (277 to 270). Equaling Bailey for the best score on the team was Logan Putvinski as her 70 points paved the way for her team-best fourth win of the season. Kate Davis compiled her third victory of the year following a score of 68.5 points. Like Davis, Aubrey Malone also dialed up 68.5 points while Marci Leath ran into some tough luck with a no-score to complete the UT Martin lineup.
In flat, Hott notched her team-high fourth win of the season as she was responsible for 86 points. Kane’s score of 82 was good enough for her third triumph of the year while Rileigh Weiss came away with her second victory of the season after collecting 80 points. Gilman managed a score of 83 points while Sophia Sundem’s 71 points also contributed to the raw score, which the Skyhawks won by a 402-397 margin.
The horsemanship event was tight as four of the five head-to-head wins were decided by 1.5 points or less. Keely Seiter chalked up her second win of the season for UT Martin, posting 73.5 points. Bailey was awarded a team-high score of 76 but was defeated by one point. Paige Benson (72.5 points) was narrowly handed a 1.5-point setback as her opponent nabbed MOP accolades. Emma Schaefer’s score of 71 was also defeated by 1.5 point while Davis’ 65 points wrapped up the scoring for the Skyhawks.
Senior Haley Kane compiled a pair of head-to-head victories today as the University of Tennessee at Martin equestrian team wrapped up a weekend homestand with a 7-3 win over Lynchburg.
Kane managed a team-best 88 points in flat for a three-point win over her opponent Abby Zemp while her 83 points in fences were good enough for a whopping 28-point victory. In the process, the Lexington, Ky. native tied for the team lead with her fourth win of the season in fences and tacked on her third victory of the year in flat.
The Skyhawks generated four individual wins in fences as Julia Gilman continued her successful weekend with a team-high 86 points – marking the team-high fifth victory of the season for the senior out of Barrington, Ill. Sydney Hott collected her third win of the year following an 84-point effort while Elizabeth Becker’s 83 points led to her third triumph of the season. Emmy Reed (65 points) rounded out UT Martin’s lineup in the event.
In flat, Rileigh Weiss notched her third win over the last four meets as her 87 points were one point shy of Kane for the highest score on the squad. Ava Laplante was responsible for an impressive win in her season debut as the junior from Plainville, Mass. dialed up a career-best 77 points. Hott (85 points) and Gilman (78) also pieced together good scores but were defeated in head-to-head action.
The Skyhawks put the finishing touches on the fall season on Nov. 18 when they host South Dakota State at the Ned McWherter Agricultural Pavilion.
Graphic courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information