Northwest Mississippi Rodeo Qualifies Multiple Athletes for College Finals

Martin, Tennessee — The Northwest Mississippi Community College rodeo team earned key qualifications at the UT Martin College Rodeo over the weekend, with several athletes advancing to the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyoming.

Despite limited overall success, the men’s team scored 120 points and had multiple individuals qualify for the short go. Dakota Smith led the team, finishing second in the average and securing his spot at the finals with 100 additional points in the region standings. His score of 81 in the long go was the second-best of the round, but he was edged out by Jace Hensley of Missouri Valley College, who posted an 83.5 and leads the region.

Both Smith and Hensley failed to stay on for the full eight seconds in their second rides. Hensley’s second-round score was enough to give him the event win and edge out Smith for the top spot. In team roping, Northwest had the most success, with three teams earning spots in the short go. The team of Leo Williams and Eli Herman posted the fastest time of 7.3 seconds in the opening round, though they did not complete their catch in the short go. Their performance earned them 70 regional points.

Hank Burgess and Tate Williams also made it back, catching their steer in 16.8 seconds during the short go, which placed them fifth overall. Their overall time of 28.9 seconds earned them 40 points. Additionally, Trey Lee Weekley and Austin Brooks of the University of West Alabama qualified, earning 10 points with a 10.4-second run, but failed to catch in the short go.

In calf roping, Burgess posted the third-fastest time of 10.7 seconds in the opening round, earning 40 points. However, he missed catching his calf in the short go and finished outside the top six in the average. With two upcoming rodeos, several athletes remain in contention to qualify for Casper, including Williams, who is 180 points out of third in the Ozark standings. He needs a strong showing at the Arkansas Tech Rodeo to improve his chances.

The team also has hopes in team roping and barrel racing. Tucker Douglas and Cole McCorkle sit just 165 points behind third place in team roping, while freshman Raegan Chance is in 11th place in barrel racing, 125 points out of third. With solid performances, she could also secure a spot at the finals.

For updates on the team’s progress and upcoming events, fans are encouraged to follow nwccrangers.com or the Northwest social media accounts.

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