SWOSU Men Take Third at First Rodeo

October 2, 2006

COLBY, Kansas – Southwestern Oklahoma State University got strong performances by bareback rider Dusty Gracia and solid efforts in the team roping competition to finish third in the season’s first rodeo at Colby County Community College.

SWOSU, under the direction of coach Chad Ramirez, accumulated 285 points to place a distant third behind Panhandle State’s winning total of 938 points and Northwestern Oklahoma State’s second-place point total of 418.

In the bareback competition, Gracia was third in the long round and followed with a sixth-place score in the short round to finish third in the average. Teammate Monty Goodwin was among the top 10 finishers in the event thanks to a fifth-place effort in the long round.

SWOSU had four competitors advance in the team roping competition. Tanner Houston and C.C. Salisbury along with Jesse Kulczycki and Bobby Martin, who teamed with a pair of NWOSU cowboys, all advanced. Houston and Salisbury finished second in the long round and sixth in the short round. Kulczycki and K.W. Lauer finished fifth in the long round and spilt second and third in the short round to take third in the average. Martin and Luke Blanton were sixth in the long round, fifth in the short round and sixth in the average.

SWOSU had one other cowboy that advanced into the short round competition and that was Thomas Merritt in calf roping.

The SWOSU women were not as successful as their male counterparts in the Colby rodeo failing to score any team points.

The women’s title was won by NWOSU with 350 points while Panhandle State was second with 210 points while Garden City Community College finished third with 180 points.

SWOSU did have two women advance in the goat tying competition Jenna Lee Hays and Britney Edmondson but were unable to score high enough to gain any team points.

SWOSU’s next rodeo will begin Oct. 6 at Pratt Community College.