ECAC Announces Riders of the Month for February
DANBURY, Conn. – The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) has announced the Equestrian Riders of the Week for the month of February.
Fences: Katie Mills - UT Martin
Kate Mills was very consistent over fences this past month. She won three of her four points in competition this month for UTM on the road and at home. Her only loss was by a narrow margin against #1 ranked Auburn at Auburn.
Flat: Marin Gilliland - UC Davis
With her highest score of the season, Marin Gilliland faced off against Dartmouth and earned an impeccable score of 91 with a nine-point differential between her and her opponent both competing with Zinnia. She earned her second MOP of the weekend in her matchup against Texas A&M, scoring a fabulous 88 on Misty and winning by eight points.
Horsemanship: Hannah Dutton - South Dakota State
Hannah Dutton competed against TCU, Baylor, and SMU on the SDSU Texas Tour from January 30 to February 1. During the tour, Hannah excelled in Horsemanship, securing victories in two out of the three competitions, showcasing her impressive skills and consistency.
Reining: Kate Davis - UT Martin
Kate Davis went undefeated in reining during the month of February for the Skyhawks. She defeated two ECAC opponents as well as opponents from #1 Auburn and #4 SMU.
Standout Student-Athlete of the Month: Logan Putvinski - UT Martin (Pictured)
Logan Putvinski graduated in three and a half years with an accounting degree and is currently working on her MBA from UT Martin. Logan works at local accounting firm three days a week, practicing four days a week while also working as a barn manager for the team. As a Skyhawk, Logan has designed all our logos for her team's apparel, which has greatly improved the Skyhawk branding. She also won the design contest for the NCEA Championship t-shirt two years in a row. She has been a mainstay in the UT Martin Reining Lineup for the past four years, winning 30 points in reining with 49 starts. She earned NCEA All-America honors in Reining her sophomore year and is a two-time NCEA All Academic honoree earning a 4.0 GPA.
Horse of the Month: Bear - UC Davis - Jumping Seat - Donated by Rose Carver
Bear has been an outstanding and consistent horse for the English side of equitation, taking on responsibilities in both the Fences and the Flat events. "He's been a fantastic asset to the team, picking up both formats of NCEA competition beautifully" said head coach Jill Humphrey. For the past four home meets, he has been the MOP winner and a consistent 86 scorer - riding an 86 with the Gamecocks over Fences, an 86 with Aggie Lauren Kolbe, an 86 with Aggie Jessie Rechs versus Delaware, and an 86 with Aggie Emma Jolly versus OSU.
ABOUT THE ECAC
The ECAC (Eastern College Athletic Conference) is an eighty-five-year-old organization with well over 200 member schools across all three NCAA Divisions - I, II and III. The ECAC exists to enhance the experience of student-athletes participating in intercollegiate athletics and provides great value for universities and colleges by sponsoring championships, leagues, bowl games, tournaments and other competitions throughout the Northeast. The ECAC also hosts a comprehensive esports program that presently involves 160 schools fielding 1100 teams across 14 different esports games, streamed live four nights a week. The ECAC's esports platform has and continues to expand the geographic footprint of the Conference nationally.
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