Upsets and History: South Carolina, Oklahoma State, UT-Martin Earn Equestrian Conference Titles

The SEC and ECAC saw new champions emerge as the Gamecocks and Skyhawks earned their first league titles in years, while the Cowgirls found a way to keep their run through the Big 12 alive.

The three dual discipline conference championships in the NCEA that were decided over the weekend featured history-making rides for South Carolina, UT-Martin and Oklahoma State. | Graphics courtesy NCEA

Carol Gwin simply watched and listened. For once, she didn't have to say anything – Mattie McNeill’s message was more than enough. 

When she left SMU in May to take over at South Carolina, Gwin knew there would be a lot of learning ahead. She’d have to learn her new team, along with the program’s current culture and chemistry. Her new riders would have to learn the coaching style from the new staff. Collectively, they’d have to learn the best way to work together for success. 

Assistant coach Cathy Woosley Luse has routinely called it creating a toolbox, noting that each day the coaches were going to try and give the riders another tool to add to their collection.

When McNeill, a normally mild-mannered reining competitor, stood up in her chair Thursday night before the SEC Tournament opener with top-seeded Auburn and spoke, Gwin knew the lessons she and her staff had tried to impart were resonating. 

“She just laid it all out there and was like, ‘I don’t care if we’re riding against Auburn, who is ranked No. 1. I don’t care that I’m riding against their best western rider. I’m just going to be Mattie McNeill and go win my point. That’s my job.’ That was kind of a really neat start to an awesome weekend,” Gwin said. 

McNeill’s impassioned speech – and her ensuing prophetic win against Auburn’s Michelle Fumagalli – were a major spark the Gamecocks used to make an improbable run through the bracket, capturing their first trophy exactly 11 years to the day since Gwin, then an assistant, helped South Carolina win its last league title. 

South Carolina was covered in confetti after claiming their first SEC Tournament title in 11 years over the weekend. | Photo courtesy of South Carolina athletics

Gwin’s rebuild of the program got a jump start over the weekend after a regular season of mixed results. South Carolina was 6-5 in dual meets coming into the SEC Tournament, but had gone just 1-4 against league competition, including 0-2 against Auburn. 

As the last seed in the field, the Gamecocks knew they had a tall task. McNeill’s Thursday night rally cry helped sustain them through the next two days. 

A day to forever remember!! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/0hhSrFckJj

— Gamecock Equestrian (@GamecockEQ) March 30, 2025

South Carolina ended Auburn’s run of consecutive conference crowns at six straight on Friday in a 10-8 decision, then carried the momentum over into Saturday’s championship round against Texas A&M. The Aggies were the only conference foe the Gamecocks knocked off during the regular season. 

South Carolina repeated that feat via an 11-8 decision to secure the league title. Additionally, the Gamecocks swept the Most Outstanding Performer honors during the finale, as well as all four available SEC All-Championship Team spots. Amira Kettaneh (fences), Natalie Jayne (flat), Carly Jenkins (horsemanship), and Chloe VanStone (reining) each earned those respective honors.

“I think we kind of shocked the world, huh?,” Gwin said with a laugh. “We’ve worked really hard with these girls all year and kind of had to come and make a lot of changes. They have been very receptive to the changes. They’ve bought in.”

UT-Martin had plenty to cheer about after ending a streak of four straight runner-up showing at the ECAC Tournament with their first conference championship since 2013. | Photo courtesy of UT-Martin Athletics

UT-Martin Ends Futility with Breakthru ECAC Title

Kim Leiter-Janes had to take a moment to calm her players. There would be a time for the UT-Martin equestrian team to celebrate – they just had to wait a little bit longer. 

Of course, given how things have gone each of the last four seasons, it's easy to understand the Skyhawks’ desire to jump for joy. 

After finishing runner-up in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) each of the last four years, UT-Martin ended their trophy drought with a raw score 1,446.5-1,379.3 tiebreaking win against UC Davis during Saturday’s championship finale. It’s the program’s first conference title since winning the now-defunct United Equestrian Conference title in 2013.

“We have been so close four times,” Leiter-Janes said. “It doesn’t get a whole lot better than this. We made some history, which is good.”

The Skyhawks finished the regular season 8-6 overall but went 6-0 in ECAC action, earning the top spot at the league event. Getting to the finals proved to be anything but easy as the Skyhawks had to use a late surge by the reining team to knock off South Dakota State 11-9 in Friday’s semifinals. 

The thrill & elation of winning a conference championship 🧡

Check out some of the best celebration photos from the ECAC Championship closing ceremony as Skyhawk equestrian captured their 2nd league title in school history!

Full 📸 Gallery: https://t.co/xsY30mFChC#MartinMade pic.twitter.com/NwWf6bcdL5

— UT Martin Athletics (@utmsports) March 30, 2025

Against UC Davis, the championship came down to the reiners once again, with UT-Martin needing three points in the final event to secure the title. The championship-sealing moment came during Lexi Bailey’s ride, as she scored a 69.5 but her opponent went off pattern to be disqualified. The result meant UT-Martin had enough raw score to win, even if UC Davis scored the final two points to tie the overall wins at 10-10, which it did. 

The celebration, though temporarily paused, was the perfect ending after Leiter-Janes spent the days leading up to the ECAC event talking about the need for a team-first mentality if they were going to pull out the victory. She even brought in UT-Martin women’s basketball coach Kevin McMillan, a 15-year veteran at the school, to speak with the team. 

It’s apparently a message that stuck. 

“He talked about what it takes, we had to get on the same page and what it meant to be a good teammate. They did that. They were selfless, which was our first word. They took care of each other,” Leiter-Janes said. 

Oklahoma State celebrated its fifth-straight Big 12 Conference Tournament title over the weekend, taking down TCU. | Photo courtesy of Oklahoma State athletics

Oklahoma State Notches Fifth-Straight Big 12 Title

This is the moment Oklahoma State equestrian coach Larry Sanchez has been preparing his squad for all season. And, yet again, the Cowgirls didn’t disappoint. 

For the fifth consecutive time, Oklahoma State clinched the Big 12 Tournament title, taking down top-seeded TCU in Saturday’s championship round, 11-8. 

During the regular season, the Horned Frogs swept the two meetings, both by final scores of 11-9. Along with trips to Tennessee, California and Texas this year, Sanchez has continued to push his team, pitting them against high level foes in high stress environments. 

“We might not have the shiniest regular season record, and a lot of that is due to we schedule really hard. And when you do that, you’re going to get some losses on your record,” Sanchez said. “But I think it prepares you for when you get to the postseason and you’re against tough competition. It’s old hat for the girls rather than something they’ve never seen before.”

In the semifinals, Oklahoma State got past Baylor, 11-9, to set up the championship rematch on Saturday. The Cowgirls and Horned Frogs have faced off each time in the title ride the previous four seasons. 

“OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY”#RoadToOcala | #GoPokes pic.twitter.com/S3NfdWcDjO

— OSU Cowgirl Equestrian (@OSUEquestrian) March 30, 2025

With another trophy added to the case, Sanchez hopes the momentum from the win keeps building as the team prepares for the NCEA Championship in two weeks. 

“It really does a lot to boost your confidence when you win a conference championship like the Big 12. The girls know they’re capable,” Sanchez said. “When you start putting the team above self is when you start seeing the program succeed and the results come together when they should.”