Rodeo Opens Spring Season at Arkansas Tech
Russellville, Ark., (March 9, 2025)- The Missouri Valley College men's and women's rodeo teams opened the spring competition seasons in the Ozark Region with the Arkansas Tech rodeo in Russellville, Ark., over the weekend. The women's team placed first, and the men's team was second with one winner in the average.
The men's team took five of the top six spots in the bareback riding average. Sophomore Jason Wilson (Pownal, Vt.) won the event, with a 154.5 in the average. Wilson won the first go-round with a 79.5, then added a 75 in the second go-round to place in a tie for second. He earned 165 points. Finishing second in the event average was Senior Drew Lind (Weyauwega, Wisc.), with a 149. Lind was second in the first go-round with a 78 and added a 71 in the second go-round to collect 105 total points. Junior Hayden Leavell (Ozark, Ark.) was tied for third in the average with a 147, earning 105 points, while both Junior Bryce Eck (Redfield, Kan.) and Freshman Judd Pope (Garnett, Kan.) were tied for fifth in the average with a 143. Pope won the second go-round with a 77, and earned 75 points, while Eck earned 45 points.
In saddle bronc riding, Pope was second in the average with a 124. He finished third in both go-rounds with a 62 in each, and earned 125 points. Sophomore Walker McAbee (Woodruff, S.C.) was third in the average with a 62, which he rode in the first go-round, and earned 65 points. Treg Huver finished second in the second go-round with a 65 and earned 50 points. Also for the men's team, Sophomore Carson Ball Bruner, Mo.) was sixth in the steer wrestling average with a 15.8, and earned 30 points.
The women's team produced second place finishers in the average of three events. Freshman Codie Vaughan (Searcy, Ark.) was second in the breakaway roping average with a 4.7. Vaughan was fourth in the first go-round with a 2.4, and second in the second go-round with a 2.3, earning a total of 130 points. In goat tying, Freshman Kate Brisbane (Kearney, Mo.) was second in the average with a 16.9. Brisbane had an 8.6 to place fourth in the first go-round, then added an 8.3 in the second go-round to place second to earn a total of 130 points. Also, in barrel racing, Sophomore Kalyani Das (Las Cruces, N.M.) was second in the average with a 32.53. After a 16.32 in the first go-round, Das won the second go-round with a 16.21 and earned a total of 110 points. Plus, Freshman Ruby Espey (Lone Jack, Mo.) finished fifth in the first go-round of breakaway roping, with a 2.5, and earned 15 points.
The women's team captured first in the standings, finishing with 260 points. Tennessee-Martin was second with 215 points. This is the second rodeo win for the women's team this season, also capturing first at the Viking Stampede Rodeo to open the 2024-25 season. The men's team narrowly finished second, earning 515 points. Tennessee-Martin won the rodeo with 515 points.
Up next, the Viking rodeo teams travel to Meridian, Miss., for the East Mississippi rodeo, Thursday through Saturday.
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Known for its dynamic, richly diverse, and friendly educational environment, Missouri Valley College offers many opportunities to grow in mind, body, and spirit. Grounded in the liberal arts, undergraduate studies empower students to master interdisciplinary skills needed to succeed in a knowledge-based global society. MVC offers over 30 academic programs, study abroad program, extracurricular activities, and a wide variety of sports. The most popular majors include education and business, criminal justice and exercise science. Above all, Valley is committed to student success. For more information, call (660) 831-4000 or visit www.moval.edu.