Men Finish Second at OPSU

April 6, 2009

GUYMON, Okla. -Southwestern Oklahoma State University tuned up for its own upcoming rodeo by finishing second at the recently completed Oklahoma Panhandle State University Rodeo. SWOSU finished with 394 points just ahead of Fort Scott Community College and the host, OPSU, who shared third with 365 points.

Western Oklahoma State College won the event with 630 points. It was the Altus school's first team title this season.

Dusty Gracia continued to dominate in the bareback riding competition. He swept both the long run and short run to win the average in the event. Gracia had rides of 75 and 82 and was the runaway winner . His wins moved him into third place in the Central Plains Regional Standings.

Three other SWOSU cowboys did well in the bareback competition. Justin Anderson finished fourth in the average after finishing fourth both in the long run and short run.  Cody Teel placed fifth in the average after splitting second and third in the short run and Jared Parker split fifth and sixth in the long run but did not place in either the short run or the average.

Wade Payne scored points in the bull riding competition. He split fourth and fifth in the long run and did well enough to finish in a fifth-and-sixth split in the average despite being thrown off in his short run ride.

The team roping tandem of Matt Nauman and Aaron Allen finished sixth in the long run in their competition and followed it up with a fifth place showing in the short run. The two efforts allowed them to finish in sixth in the average.

One other cowboy advanced to the short round competition, with Brandon Barber winning a spot in the calf roping event. He did not score high enough in his final throw to place in the average.