OPSU Communications
Erika Chartrand
FORT SCOTT, Kan. — The Oklahoma Panhandle State University rodeo team traveled to Fort Scott, Kansas, this past weekend for their second college rodeo of the semester. The points teams didn’t have the weekend they wanted but still left with some important wins. The men’s team won third overall and the women’s team finished third as well.
Panhandle dominated the goat tying, winning both first and third in the average. Kaylee Smith had a time of 7.0 seconds in the long round placing her fourth coming into the short round. Smith then brought the heat with a time of 6.7 seconds in the short round, being the fastest time of the entire weekend. Smith left with another buckle to her name and the 2019 Fort Scott Goat Tying Champion title. Baylee Henderson was right behind her. Henderson had a time of 7.1 seconds in the long round placing her in a tie for fifth. Henderson then tied the second fastest time of the short round, 6.9 seconds placing her third in the average. Team member Linzie Van Horn was also in the short round. Van Horn had a time of 7.2 seconds in the long round, but unfortunately her goat got up leaving her with a no time in the short round.
Baylee Henderson was also the only Panhandle State cowgirl to make it back to a very tight short round in the Breakaway roping with a time range of 0.2 seconds from first through 11th place. Henderson was in a four-way tie for first place in the long round with a time of 2.7 seconds. Henderson got a time of 3.6 seconds in the short round placing her fifth in the average.
Jade Taton had a successful weekend, winning the all-around title and an event. Taton placed second in the first round of the Bareback riding with a score of 78 points. Taton then won the second round with a score of 77 points making him the Bareback riding Champion of the weekend.
Taton also made the Saddle Bronc riding short round along with four other Panhandle State cowboys. Panhandle State won first through third place in the Saddle Bronc riding. The Australian, Will Reynolds, won the event with a score of 69 in the long round and 70 in the short round, which also gave him the short round win. Tanner Hayes won the reserve title with scores of 65 and 66 points. College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) qualifier and reserve champion, Dawson Dahmn, won third in the average with scores of 68 and 63 points. Taton had a score of 66 points in the long round, but got bucked off in the short round.
Beau Peterson won fifth in the long round of the Barrel Racing with a time of 12.96 seconds. Peterson unfortunately did not place in the short round, taking her out of the average race.
Panhandle State won the fourth through sixth place in the Team Roping this weekend. Nate Johnsrud and his partner Sloan Smith, from Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU), won second in the long round with a time of 5.4 seconds. Unfortunately, the team broke the barrier in the short round giving them a time of 15.2 seconds in the short round. Luke Meier and his partner Wyatt Miller, from Fort Scott Community College (FSCC), won fourth in the long round with a time of 5.8 seconds. Meier’s partner unfortunately caught one leg in the short round giving them a time of 13.9 seconds. Panhandle State team, Chandler Dearmin and Ira Dickinson, had a time of 6.9 seconds in the long round and 13.5 seconds in the short round, including a five second penalty for catching one leg.
The teams are getting ready for the busy month of April in which they will be competing every weekend. There are four college rodeos left and anything is still possible for each of our athletes. The team will continue practicing until then with the goal of keeping the winning tradition alive!