Rodeo Teams Both Take First Place at Pearl River
Poplarville, Miss., (March 22, 2026)- The Missouri Valley College rodeo teams continued their spring competition seasons at the Pearl River (Miss.) rodeo in Poplarville, Miss., over the weekend. Both Viking rodeo teams finished first in the standings with three event winners in the average.
In bareback riding, the Viking cowboys claimed five of the top six spots in the average. Sophomore Jason Wilson (Bennington, Vt.) was first in the average with a 161.5. Wilson was second in the first go-round with an 81, and won the second go-round with an 80.5. he collected 170 points. Tied for second in the average were Sophomore Judd Pope (Garnett, Kan.) and Sophomore Collin Roland (Childersburg, Ky.), both finished with a 156. Roland won the first go-round with an 82, and was sixth in the second go-round with a 74 to collect 115 points. Pope finished third in the first go-round with a 77.5, and was second in the second go-round with a 78.5 to earn 135 points. Fifth in the average waas Senior Hayden Leavell (Ozark, Ark.) with a 150.5. Leavell was sixth in the first go-round with a 75, then tied for third in the second go-round with a 75.5 to earn 65 points. Finishing sixth in the average was Freshman Kade Parrish (LaValle, Wisc.) with a 147.5. Parrish tied for third in the second go-round with a 75.5 and earned 45 points. Also earning points was Freshman Owen Prince (Humboldt, Ky.), who tied for fourth in the first go-round with a 76.5 to collect 25 points.
Taking first in the saddle bronc riding average was Pope, with a 156. Pope was second in the first go-round with a 74, then won the second go-round with an 82 to earn 170 points. Second in the average was Freshman Creek Caldwell (Bainbridge, Ind.) with a 153.5. Caldwell won the first go-round with a 79, then finished third in the second go-round with a 74.5 to earn 150 points. Sophomore Treg Huver (Nasvhille, Mich.) was third in the average with a 151.5. Huver was third in the first go-round with a 73 and was second in the second go-round with a 78.5 to finish with 130 points. Junior Walker McAbee (Woodruff, S.C.) added a fourth place finish in the second go-round with 72 to earn 30 points.
Also for the men's team, Freshman Jace Hensley (Paola, Kan.) was third in the bull riding average with a 152.5. Hensley was third in the first go-round with a 73 and second in the second go-round with a 79.5 to earn 130 points. Plus, Junior Carson Ball (Bruner, Mo.) added a third place finish in the first go-round of steer wrestling to earn 40 points.
The women's team was led by Freshman Dakota Murphy (Freeburg, Ill.), who tied for first in the breakaway roping average with a 5.6. Murphy finished third in the first go-round with a 2.7, and followed with a 2.9 to place second in the second go-round. Murphy earned 145 points. Sophomore Codie Vaughn (Searcy, Ark.) came through with a first go-round win in breakaway roping, with a 2.6, and earned 55 points.
In goat tying, Sophomore Kate Brisbane (Kearney, Mo.) finished second in the average with a 15.4. Brisbane tied for fourth in the first go-round with a 7.4, then tied for second in the second go-round with an 8.0 to finish with 120 points. Junior Alexis Neff (Marshall, Mo.) was third in the event's average with a 15.6. Neff finished second in the first go-round with a 7.1, and was fifth in the second go-round with an 8.5 to earn 110 points. Freshman Josie Waldenberger (Holmen, Wisc.) finished in a tie for fourth in goat tying with a 15.7, Waldenberg tied for second in the second go-round with an 8.0 an earned 70 points. Also in the event, Freshman Addy Derr (Paola, Kan.) was third in the first go-round with a 7.3 to earn 40 points and Freshman Victoria Whitehead (Jones, Okla.) was sixth in the first go-round with a 7.6 to collect 10 points.
The pair of Freshman Annabelle Kindred (Downs, Ill.) and Freshman Jaxson DeVoe (Siloam Springs, Ark.) competed in team roping, and placed sixth in the average. The pair finished sixth in the second go-round with a 14.9 and earned 20 points apiece. Plus, the pair of Collin Rolland and Junior Cayden Roland (Childersburg, Ala.) finished fifth in the first go-round with an 8.4 to earn 20 points each.
In the team standings, the Viking cowboys finished first for the seventh time this season with a total of 915 points. West Alabama was second with a total of 590 points. The Viking cowgirls also finished first in the standings, for the first time since September, with 240 points. Second place was Central Methodist (Mo.) with 170 points.
Up next, the rodeo teams will compete at the Tennesse-Martin rodeo in Martin, Tennessee, April 9-11.
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About Missouri Valley College
Standing out as one of the most innovative and student-focused liberal arts colleges in the Midwest, Missouri Valley College (MVC) is committed to preparing students for success beyond the classroom. Through the Viking Voyage program, MVC prioritizes career readiness from day one, equipping students with the knowledge and skills needed to excel after graduation. Each of MVC's 30+ in-demand majors—including nursing, business, cybersecurity, computer science, criminal justice, and exercise science—integrates personal instruction, experiential learning, and professional opportunities to prepare graduates to thrive in a rapidly changing and globally connected world. At Missouri Valley College, higher education is more than earning a degree—it's a transformative journey that begins with the end.