Coverage of the Southeastern Stampede built by High Noon Trailer Repair.
From SWOSU Sports Info
Doug Self, Sports Information Director
Setting the Scene
– The second rodeo on the Central Plains Region schedule is this weekend and SWOSU will compete at the Southeastern Oklahoma State Rodeo in Durant on Thursday-Saturday, October 6-8
– SWOSU finished third at their first fall rodeo, Colby CC, on the men’s side while the women’s team took sixth at the opening rodeo
– This will be the first trip for the Bulldogs to Durant since April 2014, when the women’s team won the Southeastern Rodeo and the men’s team placed second
The Field
– Each of the ten regular season rodeos will feature competition against members of the Central Plains Region, a group of 18 schools from Kansas and Oklahoma
– All Rodeo events are sanctioned by the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA), which is the rodeo equivalent of the NCAA
– Because of governance under the NIRA, all schools ranging from junior college to NCAA Division I compete against each other
The Coach
– Mike Visnieski is in his sixth season as the head coach at his alma mater in 2015-16
– Coach V has led the Bulldog women’s team to three Central Plains Region championships and two runner-up finishes
– SWOSU has had five team finishes in the top ten at the CNFR and eight individual top ten finishers under the direction of Visnieski
– Competed at SWOSU under legendary coach Dr. Don Mitchell from 1995-99 as a bull rider and team roper
Coach V Preview
“We’ve really been working on our mental game and spending a lot of time in the practice pen as well to prepare for Durant. Everybody’s looking good and excited, it’s the first time we’ve been back to Durant in a couple years so we are all ready to get down there and get after it. I thought Colby was really good, the points and placing of the women’s team might not necessarily reflect how they did as a whole with nine athletes in the short round. Our men did outstanding, they want to get it done again this year, they’re hungry and ready to see what happens.”
– SWOSU Head Coach Mike Visnieski
SWOSU Rodeo Notes
– SWOSU Men’s team was led by bull rider Nathan Hatchel, who won the long round with a ride of 81 points, which was also good enough to earn him the average despite no score in the short go
– The Bulldogs team roping duo of Sloan Smith and Alex Phelps won the long round at Colby in 7.0 seconds then took fifth in the short go in 12.7 seconds to claim third place in the average
– Rachel Pozzi won the long round of barrel racing with a time of 17.11 seconds at Colby and finished third in the short go in 17.53 seconds, allowing her to share second and third place in the average
– Kenzie Huffman and Stacey Bailey both scored points in goat tying, splitting fifth and sixth in the long round in 7.8 seconds before Huffman split third and fourth in the short go and fourth and fifth in the average
Looking Ahead
– After a week off, the Bulldogs will compete in back-to-back weekends to round out the fall portion of their rodeo schedule
– SWOSU heads to Stillwater for the Oklahoma State Rodeo on October 20-22, then up to Alva on October 27-29 for the Northwestern Oklahoma State Rodeo