STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Rodeo action resumes for Tarleton State University men’s and women’s teams Feb. 20 at the Odessa College Rodeo.
The second half of the 2019-20 National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association season finds the Tarleton men atop the NIRA Southwest Region standings and the women in third place.
Tarleton’s men captured first-place finishes in three of five first-half stops, at Eastern New Mexico, Frank Phillips College and Texas Tech, and a runner-up finish at Vernon to build a 450-point lead over second-place Clarendon College at the break.
The team was led by regional leaders Payton Lackey in bareback riding and steer wrestler Kyler Dick. Saddle bronc rider Brody Cress, who captured his second straight title in the average at December’s Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, is in second in the region, along with teammate Colton Kelly, a bull rider, and PRCA Rookie of the Year heeler Paden Bray.
Tarleton’s women head into second-half competition trailing South Plains College and Texas Tech.
Their top performances in the fall came at Sul Ross, where they took top honors, Vernon, where they finished second, and at Frank Phillips College, where they were third.
Individuals at or near the top of the regional leaderboard include Taylor Schmidt in first place among breakaway ropers, and Timber Allenbrand and Caroline Kelly in second and third, respectively, in barrel racing.
Following the Odessa College rodeo, Southwest Region schools will compete at the Ranger College Rodeo in Sweetwater March 26-28; the Western Texas College Rodeo in Snyder April 2-4; the Howard College Rodeo in Big Spring April 16-18; and in Stephenville April 23-25 at the Tarleton Stampede.
Tarleton, founding member of The Texas A&M University System, provides a student-focused, value-driven education marked by academic innovation and a dedication to transform today’s scholars into tomorrow’s leaders. It offers degree programs to more than 13,000 students at Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Midlothian, RELLIS Academic Alliance in Bryan, and online, emphasizing real-world learning experiences that address societal needs while maintaining its core values of tradition, integrity, civility, excellence, leadership and service.
Contact: Phil Riddle
817-484-4415
priddle@tarleton.edu
