Northwest Mississippi Rodeo Team Finishes Top 8 at West Alabama Event
The Northwest Mississippi Community College rodeo team saw improvements at its second event of the season, with six riders reaching the short go at West Alabama, according to team officials. Despite a difficult final performance, the team finished fifth among men and eighth among women.
Head Coach Will Lummus cited mental focus as a key area for improvement. “We need to work on our mental focus,” Lummus said. “The freshmen were nervous, but the hard part is done. Now, they just need to go and compete. You don’t have to beat hundreds of competitors anymore. You just have to beat ten or so to finish.”
The men’s team accumulated 270 points at the rodeo, keeping them in fifth place in the regional standings with 570 points for the season. They trail Pearl River Community College by only 10 points, but Missouri Valley College and the University of West Alabama have extended their leads, surpassing the Rangers by over 500 points. On the women’s side, Northwest earned its first points of the season, moving into 10th place regionally. They are 70 points behind the top five.
Individually, the team was led by bull riders. Bradley Landon made it back to the short go with a ride of 57 points on his first bull, finishing sixth. His second ride was more impressive, earning an 82 from judges and moving him from sixth to second in the average, earning him 100 points for the weekend. Landon now ranks fifth in the region, just 40 points behind third.
Levi Alliston also qualified for the short go, scoring 78 on his first ride and finishing fifth in the average. Although he did not stay on his second bull, he earned 60 points and moved into a tie for third in the region standings. Alliston also excelled in saddle bronc riding, staying on his first horse for eight seconds and earning a score of 57. Despite not completing his second ride, he finished third in the event and tallied an 80-point weekend. Coach Lummus noted the confidence boost for Alliston, who had been struggling prior to the event.
Sloan Stewart continued his strong season in steer wrestling, finishing fifth in the long go with a time of nine seconds flat and third in the go with a time of 11.9 seconds. He placed fourth in the average, earning 90 points for the weekend, and remains third in the regional standings with 140 points. Stewart’s teammate, Tegan Orr, leads the steer wrestling event regionally, and Lummus highlighted their positive influence on each other.
Cole McCorkle qualified for the short go in steer wrestling with a time of 10.5 seconds, placing eighth. He had the second-fastest time in the final performance, catching his steer in 9.4 seconds, and finished second in the average with a total time of 19.9 seconds. McCorkle earned 100 points and is seventh in the regional standings. He also advanced in team roping with partner Leo Williams, clocking the third-fastest time in the long go at 8.9 seconds for 40 points, though they did not record a time in the short go.
On the women’s side, Reagan Shurden posted her best run of the season, completing all three turns in 17.18 seconds for third-fastest in the opening round, earning 40 points. A couple of overturned barrels in her short go kept her from earning points in the average but provided momentum heading into the next rodeo.
Lummus emphasized the competitiveness of the barrel racing event, noting its depth and the importance of performing well at multiple rodeos. The team will next compete at the Boll Weevil Stampede in Monticello, Arkansas, beginning October 1 at the UAM Truck Driving Academy. More information is available at nwccrangers.com and via the team’s social media accounts.
Source: Original Article
