Southeastern Rodeo Good to OPSU
Jordan Muncy Taton

Durant, Okla.—The men's and women's rodeo teams made the trek to Durant, Oklahoma this past weekend to test their luck at the Southeastern Oklahoma State University rodeo. Taking both the men's and women's team titles, Oklahoma Panhandle State University made a clean sweep and proved the season is just heating up in the Central Plains Region. Of all of the runs made during Saturday night's short round, 15 of them featured OPSU students, the most of any school there.

Seth Hardwick seems to be making a habit of qualifying for the short round in the bareback riding, a habit that continues to make Coach Craig Latham proud. After posting a fourth place ride in the long round, Hardwick came back extra strong in the short round and walked away as the champion. When the curtains closed on the long round of saddle bronc riding, the top four places belonged to OPSU cowboys. First was Spencer Wright, followed by Brady Nichols, Justin Hegwer, and Chad Braden respectively. However, in the end, Braden was named the champion, with Nichols tying for second.

A good show of roping went on in Durant, Oklahoma. Several Aggies proved just that as they found themselves in the short round Saturday night. First to rope in the tie-down roping was Cole Dorenkamp, who put together a great run, but was forced to add ten seconds for a broken barrier. Next was Colorado native Brice Ingo, who posted the fifth fastest time in the long round, but had some tough luck in the short. On the ladies side, Katie Jolly was the lone Aggie cowgirl to make it back in the breakaway roping. Jolly roped each of her calves consistently and ended up fourth in the aggregate.

Just ten contestants make it to the short round each weekend, and in two events in Durant— the goat tying and steer wrestling—three of the ten competitors hailed from Goodwell. In the steer wrestling, Cole Dorenkamp threw each of his steers fast enough for a second place finish in the average. Weston Taylor won the long round, and earned some aggregate points as well, while Tyrell Ouellette also finished in the top ten, proving that OPSU talent is deep on the timed-event side, too. In the goat tying, Kaylee Moyer swept the competition by winning both the long round and splitting the short, easily giving her the average title. Whitney Knippling had two solid runs, leaving her in the top ten, and Chaney Latham finished third in the long round, but had some tough luck in the short round. Latham also qualified in the barrel racing.

The rodeo teams have a three-week-break before their last rodeo of the fall season in Alva, Oklahoma. The teams will continue their quest for titles with daily practices and jackpots at the Doc Gardner Memorial Arena. As the weather begins to cool off, it's almost a guarantee that the rodeo action will only keep getting hotter and hotter. For complete regional and national standings of Intercollegiate rodeo, log on to www.collegerodeo.com. Go Aggies!