SWTJC rodeo team has successful weekend
“I was really pleased with their performance,” said head coach Joey Almand. “We have a tremendous amount of talent in our group this year and I’m excited because I still feel like we haven’t even really hit our stride yet. Some of our athletes have hit snags or had tough luck over the last several weeks, but that’s just part of competition at this level.”
Sophomore Tyler West from Mertzon nabbed the All-Around Cowboy title after placing second in the tie down roping and third in the team roping with partner Andrew Storey of Cotulla. “It was nice to finally turn things around,” said West. “I’ve had some bad luck so far this season, but maybe that’s behind me now and I can hit my stride from here forward.”
West tied his calf in 8.9 seconds in the tie down roping and he and heeler Andrew Storey were 8.2 in the team roping. This moved West and Storey into sixth in the regional team roping standings, while West’s tie down performance propelled him into fourth place in the region. The two performances combined ultimately propelled West into the event All-Around title, his first of the season.
Sophomore Haley Kiehne from Datil, New Mexico was 2.0 seconds in the women’s breakaway roping, which put her in a split for second place, moving her into eighth place in the regional standings.
Freshman Taylor Lawson roped her breakaway calf in 2.2 seconds and finished tenth for the weekend.
Brody Baugh from Menard won fourth in the tie down roping with a nice run of 9.4 for his first success of the season jumping to tenth in the regional standings, while veteran Paige Dawson finished sixth in the girl’s goat tying with a run of 7.6. Dawson currently sits fifth in the regional standings.
Heeler Buckshot Patterson finished seventh in the team roping with a 10.6 second run which included a 5 second penalty for roping one hind leg.
Almand commented on the team’s overall status and position. “They have all been really putting in the work required to accel and it’s just a matter of time before things go each of their way. We have some very accomplished competitors that have yet to have their day, so we are looking forward to them putting it together in the upcoming events this season. I expect there to be some members names you’ve yet to see or hear start popping up as we move forward. I don’t think we have a single student not capable of placing.”
The SWTJC men’s team currently sits eighth overall in the region, while the women’s team is now in fifth.
The team will travel to McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana this weekend and to Sam Houston State University the following weekend to wrap up the first half of the collegiate season.
The final five rodeos of the season will resume after the winter break and continue through the spring semester.