SWOSU Men First at NWOSU Rodeo, Women Finish Second
October 30, 2005
Alva, OK - Southwestern Oklahoma State strengthened its claim as the dominant men’s rodeo team in the region by winning its third consecutive event, outdistancing Oklahoma Panhandle State by a comfortable margin at the Northwestern Oklahoma State Rodeo. The SWOSU men finished with season-best 612 ½ points ahead of OPSU’s 545.
The victory pushed the SWOSU men further out front in the Central Plains Regional standings that are expected to be released later this week. The Bulldogs have accumulated 1,632 points and own a comfortable lead over second-place Panhandle State with 1,008 points.
The SWOSU women placed second at the NWOSU event with 325 points finishing behind Southeastern Oklahoma State’s 420 points. Even with the second-place showing, the SWOSU women still remain first in the regional standings with 970 points, ahead of SOSU who is second with 700.
Individually for the SWOSU men, Steven Smith and Bandy Murphy controlled the bareback event. Smith won first in the long round with an 82-point ride, finished fifth in the short round and earned first in the average. Murphy split fifth and sixth in the long round, first and second in the short round and ended up in a two-way tie for second in the average.
Murphy came back and later scored points in the saddle bronc with a sixth-place effort in the long run.
SWOSU had two score points in the bull riding led by Murphy’s first-place ride of 79 in the short round which earned him first in the average. Dustin England split second and third in the long round and finished in a two-way tie for third in the average.
In steer wrestling, SWOSU’s Tony Sauter finished first in the long run with a time of 4.4 seconds and followed it up with a third-place finish in the short round. He ended up in a first-place tie in the average. Teammate Aaron Allen finished sixth in the long round.
In the women’s events, Audra Hays turned in times of 2.6 seconds and 3.0 seconds in the breakaway roping event and finished tied for first. The 2.6 time earned her a fourth-place tie in the long round while the 3.0 tied for the best effort in the short.
Martha Beagley finished second in the long run in the goat-tying event with a time of 7.3 seconds.
Sarah Ellingson had the fastest time in the barrel racing competition with a 12.73 second ride in the short-round. She finished fourth earlier in the long round and ended up second in the average.
The NWOSU rodeo concludes the fall season for both the men’s and women’s teams. They both return to action Feb. 24 at the Kansas State University rodeo.