OPSU Communications
Erika Chartrand
FORT SCOTT, Kan. — The Oklahoma Panhandle State University Rodeo Team traveled to Fort Scott, Kansas this weekend to compete at their second spring rodeo. The Men’s Team was present once again winning the second place title.
Bareback rider Will Martin is on a roll winning his second consecutive spring rodeo. Martin had a perfect weekend winning the long round with 81 points and also winning the short round with 77 points making him the 2018 Fort Scott Bareback Riding Champion. Teammate Dylan Riggins also made it back to the short round with a score of 61 points in the long round. Riggins was then 64 points, which tied him for the fourth and fifth place in the short round placing him fifth in the average race.
Jade Taton had a successful weekend in both the bareback riding and the saddle bronc riding. Taton made it to the short round of the saddle bronc riding with 57 points and then won third in the long round with 74 points placing him third in both the round and the average. Taton won second in the long round of the bareback riding with a score of 71 points and ended up fourth in the average.
Still in the bucking chutes end of the arena, saddle bronc rider Preston Ogle earned a score of 67 points in the long round giving him the third place. He was then 63 points in the long round placing him second in the round and second in the average.
On the timed event end, Panhandle State teammates Bridgett Merrigan and Zane Grigsby made the short round in the team roping with a time of 9.2 seconds but had no luck in the short round.
Three Panhandle State cowgirls made it to the short round in the breakaway roping. Canadian Erika Chartrand tied for first and second in the long round with a time of 2.4 seconds. Chartand then caught her calf in 4.3 seconds in the short round placing her fifth in the round and fifth in the average. Shyanna Cahoy had a time of 3.0 seconds in the long round and 4.6 seconds in the short round placing her sixth in both the short round and the average.
Alexandra Daigle, also from Canada, was present in the short round in two events. Daigle caught her calf in 3.1 seconds in the long round of the breakaway roping but had no luck in short round. Daigle made a great run in the barrel racing in a tricky arena. Daigle had a time of 12.49 seconds in the long round bringing her back to the short round in sixth place.
Daigle barely hit the first barrel in the short round but still earned the sixth place in the average. Shay Spitz made an outstanding run in the long round of the barrel racing with a time of 12.38 seconds earning her the second place coming into the short round. Spitz unfortunately had no luck in the short round.
Panhandle State rodeo athletes now have a few weeks before their next college rodeo in Garden City, Kan., April 6, 7, and 8. They will be practicing hard and plan on being ready for another successful weekend to keep the winning tradition alive!