Gracia Wins SWOSU Bareback

April 15, 2007

WEATHERFORD, Okla. – Southwestern Oklahoma State University used the first-place finishes by bareback rider Dusty Gracia and team roper Jesse Kulczycki to finish third in the men’s team competition at the school’s 35th annual rodeo.
The SWOSU women finished in a two-way tie for eighth.

The SWOSU rodeo, which was completed Saturday in sloppy, wet conditions, featured 40 teams and more than 400 competitors from across the Central Plains Region.

Gracia, who won the bareback competition earlier this year at Pratt, had a combined score of 156 on two rides to finish just ahead of Sheldon Rinker of Fort Hays State.

Kulczycki, along with K.W. Laurer of Northwestern Oklahoma State, won the team roping competition with a combined score of 15.8 seconds, nearly two seconds better than the second-place team.

Northwestern Oklahoma won the men’s competition with 605 points narrowly beating out Panhandle State who finished second with 555 points. NWOSU had the second and third place finishers in calf roping and second place finisher in steer wrestling. The majority of OPSU’s points came thanks to Trell Etbaurer who won the All-Around Cowboy thanks primarily to winning the calf roping competition and saddle bronc competition.

On the women’s side, Ft. Hays State University won first with 185 points followed by Southeastern Oklahoma State University with 150 poins and Panhandle State University was third with 125 points.

Charity Maune of Northwestern Oklahoma was the All-Around Cowgirl.

SWOSU will next compete April 20 at the Fort Hays State University rodeo in Hays, Kan.