By Ryne Rickman, UT Martin Sports Information Director
BROOKINGS, SD – The Eastern College Athletic Conference announced that the University of Tennessee at Martin duo of Kim Leiter (Coach of the Year) and Caitlin Marshall (Assistant Coach of the Year) received two of the organization’s major postseason awards for equestrian.
The announcement was made following the conclusion of the ECAC Championship last night. This marks the second time in the last three seasons that Leiter has claimed ECAC Coach of the Year honors while first-year staff member Marshall becomes the second straight Skyhawk representative to earn ECAC Assistant Coach of the Year accolades.
Leiter and Marshall oversaw four different UT Martin riders (Sydney Hott, Julia Gilman, Lexi Bailey, Logan Putvinski) who combined for five All-ECAC honors in 2022-23. Four separate Skyhawks (Hott, Kate Davis, Putvinski, Gilman) garnered a total of 10 ECAC Rider of the Week awards and three ECAC Rider of the Month accolades.
As a team, UT Martin captured its third straight ECAC reserve championship and made 14 appearances in the National Collegiate Equestrian Association top-10 poll out of 17 total weeks. The Skyhawks posted seven total victories (including three scrimmages/exhibitions) and were a perfect 3-0 during the regular season against ECAC competition, securing the No. 1 seed for the ECAC Championship tournament.
Graphic courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information