In dominating fashion, the rodeo team won both the
men and women’s team competition, including members winning six events
and both all-arounds, at the Southern Arkansas University rodeo over the
weekend.
“It’s been two years since both the men’s and women’s team have won
at the same event,” rodeo coach Jolyn Wells said. “I thought it was
pretty awesome cause Magnolia is not really our rival, but is our
in-state rival and to go over there and win so much.”
The men’s team won the event by 180 points. Wes Brunson led the team
by winning both Tie Down Roping and Team Roping, with his brother Bart,
and finishing second in Steer Wrestling en route to the All-Around
title. W. Brunson scored 450 of the teams 1045 points and won the
all-around by almost 200 points.
In Tie Down Roping, the team took the top three positions with B.
Brunson and Lane Hewett finishing in second and third place
respectively.
Going into short go in the event, W. Brunson sat tied for third place
till he put up a time of 9.0 to move ahead of his brother, who jumped
six places with his time of 9.7, and win the event.
“I drew a really good steer and I knew going in I could win the
event,” the all-around champion said.
The Brunson brothers were not finished sharing victory, dominating
team roping by over 2.1 seconds. With the victory, B. Brunson moved up
to tie for second in the all-around competition.
For the first time in his collegiate career, Bud Bogan won the Steer
Wrestling event with an average time of 10.4, holding off W. Brunson by
.7 seconds. Jack Johnson also had a strong finish in the event, picking
up fourth place with an average time of 11.3.
“I know I can Bulldog with anyone,” Bogan said. “I drew a really good
steer, better than what the others drew, but anyone on the team could of
won the event.”
On the women’s team, Katie Bandy won the women’s all-around while
picking up 165 of the teams 430 points. Bandy took first in Breakaway
Roping and tied fellow teammate Stephanie Zakrzewsk for sixth in Goat
Tying.
Going into the short go in Breakaway Roping, Bandy was tied
for fifth with a time of 4.5. She stunned the competition, roping her steer in
2.6 seconds in round two to win the event by 1.4 seconds.
For the second straight rodeo, Megan Fisher took first in goat
tying with an average time of 21.6. In the event, competitors struggled
to keep the goat from standing up, which negates the time. Wells said
the goats were over weight by almost 20 pounds and skittish which cause
for so many no times.
Lana Chastain fell victim to the over weight goats, going into the
short go in second place. The no time in round two caused her to drop to
fourth in the standings.
As of two rodeos, the women’s team sits on top the standing in the
Ozark Region with a score of 770, 420 points ahead of second place Troy
University. Fisher is winning Goat Tying with 325 point, 155 points
ahead of Chastain who has a slim lead for second.
Bandy and Zakrzewsk sit in ninth with 30 points. Bandy moved into a
first place tie in Breakaway Roping 215 points.
The strong showing at the SAU rodeo jumped the men’s team
to second in
the region, 255 points behind the University of Tennessee at Martin.
W. Brunson leads the all-around with 640 points and holds first in
Tie Down Roping, 255, second in Steer Wrestling, 205, and second in Team
Roping as a heeler, 180.
B. Brunson sits in second in both the Tie Down Roping, 245, and Team
Roping as a header, 180.
Bogan moved to fourth, 130, and Johnson to fifth, 115, in Steer
Wrestling. Hewett holds fifth, 80, in Tie Down Roping and third, 120, in
Team Roping as a header.
The rodeo team returns to action in Troy, Ala. on Oct. 11 at the Troy
University rodeo.
