At the last rodeo during the first half of the season, the University of Arkansas-Monticello women’s rodeo team extended its first place lead to 900 points with a win at the Murray State Rodeo the weekend of Nov. 16.

   Lana “Tootie” Chastain put up a dominate performance, scoring 330 of the team’s 360 points. She won both the Break Away Roping and Goat Tying events en route to an all-around title.

   “This weekend she also made it to the short go in barrel racing, but she didn’t get any points,” Coach Jolyn Wells said.

   Going into the short round of the Break Away Roping event, Chastain needed to make up a 10^th of a second to take the lead from Tennessee-Martin’s Brittany Duff. Her second time of 3.2 became enough as Duff posted a no-time.

   In Goat Tying, Chastain dominated the completion an average time of 18.3. With the win, Chastain became nation’s top performer in Goat Tying with 610 points.

   Katie Bandy was the only other women to score points for the team, earning 30 points with her sixth place finish as a header in Team Roping.

   UAM’s men team dropped slightly in the standings with a fifth place finish at Murray State.

   Bud Bogan and Wes Brunson scored 40 points for the team with seventh and eight place finishes respectfully in Steer Wrestling.

   Cody Harrington score of 81 in the first round of bull riding was enough for 80 points for the team. Bart Brunson picked up a sixth place finish in Tie Down Roping and Lane Hewitt rounded out scoring for the men with a eighth place finish in Team Roping as a header.

   Going into the second half of the season, the women’s team looks strong sitting in first place with 1,855 total points.

   Chastain is the only woman in the Ozark region to qualify for the All-Around, earning 830 total points in the first half. On top of leading the nation in Goat Tying, she holds a third place tie with 220 points in Break Away Roping.

   Megan Fisher sits in second place in Goat Tying, only 135 points behind Chastain.

  “In the first five rodeos, the girl’s team won every goat tying event,” Wells said. “Megan won the first three and Tootie won the last two.”

   Bandy holds a slim 30 point over Chastain in Break Away Roping and is in 11^th place in Goat Tying in the region. Stephanie Zakrzewski sits in 10^th place in Goat Tying and 15^th in Break Away Roping.

   The men’s team needs to make up 960 points in the second half of the season to earn a spot in the National Finals.

   Wes Brunson earned 965 points in all events, enough for second place in the men’s all-around. He holds second in Steer Wrestling, fourth in tie down roping and third in Team roping as a heeler.

   His brother Bart sits in fourth place in the men’s all-around with 610 points. He has earned a tie for second place in Tie Down Roping and third place in team roping as a header.

   “We still ain’t but 200 points behind first in the Team Roping,” Bart Brunson said. “They going to mess up letting us stay close. We’re going to catch them before long.”

   In fifth place in Steer Wrestling, Bogan earned 255 points in the first half. Jake Johnson sits in eighth place with 115 points and Casey Greer 12^th with 80 points in the event. Hewett earned a sixth place tie with 160 points in Team Roping as a header.

   Despite only riding in three events, Harrington sits in thirds place in Bull Riding with 230 points.

   With Bogan nursing a wrist injury and Zakrzewski a back injury, Wells said the team needs the break between semesters to heal and catch up with school work. She also said she has high expectations for team during the second half of the season

   “I think next semester will be a lot better for the guys and the girls will keep going,” Wells said. “They’re hot.”

   The rodeo team returns to action next semester March 16 at the Mississippi State Rodeo and will start practice again the first of February.