Rodeo Teams Secure Ozark Region Titles at Northwest Mississippi Rodeo
Senatobia, Miss., (April 26, 2026)- The Missouri Valley College men's and women's rodeo teams finished their regular season competitions at the Northwest Mississippi rodeo in Senatobia, Miss. Both teams secured Ozark Region titles, with the men's team taking first and the women's team second in this weekend's rodeo.
In bareback riding, the Viking cowboys were led by both Sophomore Jason Wilson (Bennington, Vt.) and Senior Kooper Heimburg (San Tan Valley, Ariz.) who tied for first in the average with a 159. Wilson won the first go-round with an 83, and was third in the second go-round with a 76, finishing with 150 points. Heimburg was third in the first go-round with a 76 and won the second go-round with an 83 to finish with 155 points. Third in the average was Sophomore Judd Pope (Garnett, Kan.) with a 152 in the average. Pope was second in the first go-round with a 78 and fifth in the second go-round with a 74 to earn 110 points. Sophomore Collin Roland (Childersburg, Ala.) was fourth in the average with a 152. Roland had a 69 in the first go-round, then placed second in the second go-round with an 80, and earned 75 points. Finishing sixth in the average was Freshman Owen Prince (Humboldt, Ky.) with a 142. Prince was sixth in both go-rounds with rides of 70 and 72, and earned 30 points. Senior Hayden Leavell (Ozark, Mo.) finished fifth in the first go-round with a 72 and earned 20 points.
In saddle bronc riding, Pope finished first in the average with a 152. Pope placed second in the first go-round with a 73 then won the second go-round with a 79. He earned 1780 points. Second in the average was Freshman Creek Caldwell (Bainbridge, Ind.) with a 146. Caldwell won the first go-round with a 76, then placed fourth in the second go-round with a 70. He earned 140 points. Sophomore Treg Huver (Nashville, Mich.) was third in the average with a 143 after placing third in both go-rounds with rides of 66.5 and 76.5. Huver earned 120 points. Junior Walker McAbee (Woodruff, S.C.) was fourth in the average with a 139 after placing fourth in the first go-round with a 61 and second in the second go-round with a 78. McAbee earned 110 points.
Also for the men's team, Freshman Jace Hensley (Paola, Kan.) finished second in the bull riding average with a 55, which he earned after placing second in the first go-round. Hensley totaled 100 points. Plus, McAbee placed fifth in the steer wrestling average with a 4.6. McAbee was second in the first go-round with the 4.6 and earned 70 points. Sophomore Riley Honeycutt (Alamosa, Colo.) earned 15 points in steer wrestling after placing in a tie for fifth in the first go-round with a 5.3.
In goat tying, the women's team was led by Freshman Addy Derr (Paola, Kan.) who placed first in the average with a 13.4. Derr was first in each go-round with rides of 6.8 and 6.6, and earned 175 points. Third in the average was Sophomore Kate Brisbane (Kearney, Mo.) with a 14.4. Brisbane also placed first in the first go-round with a 6.8, and was third in the second go-round with a 7.6, earning 140 points. Junior Zoe Tunks (King City, Mo.) finished fourth in the average with a 15.4 after placing fourth in the first go-round with a 7.1 then fifth in the second go-round with an 8.3. Tunks earned 75 points. Junior Dally Orman (Blakesburg, Iowa) earned 25 points after placing fourth in the first go-round with a 7.1 and Freshman Hailey Donald (Oden, Ark.) earned 10 points after placing sixth in the first go-round with a 7.3. Also, Tunks earned another 10 points in breakaway roping after placing fifth in the first go-round with a 3.0.
The Viking men's rodeo team earned 920 points to win the rodeo, finishing ahead of second place West Alabama with 400 points. The men's rodeo team won all 10 rodeos in the Ozark Region this season. The women's team was second in the standings with 310 points. West Alabama won the women's rodeo with 340 points.
Missouri Valley clinched both the men's and women's Ozark Region championships, securing a sweep in the region for the first time since the 2019-20 competition season. The men's rodeo team has won the Ozark region for a tenth-straight season, and the women's team won the region for the first time since 2020. Final Ozark Region standings will be official on Tuesday, determining individual event and all-round champions.
Also, Head Coach Ken Mason has been named the Ozark Region Coach of the Year after guiding both programs to region titles. This is the fourth time since 2021 that Mason has earned the region's award.
Both Viking men's and women's rodeo teams have qualified for the 2026 College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyo., which runs June 14-20 in Casper, Wyo.
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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.