MARSHALL, Mo. — The Pearl River rodeo team kicked off the brand-new season over the weekend by competing in the Missouri Valley rodeo. Both teams earned sixth-place finishes, with the men’s team earning 140 points and the women’s team earning 70.
“We had a lot of our athletes that were really close to making it to the short-go,” head coach Frank Graves said. “We have to put a little more effort into it right there in the end. Overall, it was a decent showing. I think we’re going to be good going forward.
“That’s a tough rodeo for us. It’s a 12-hour drive and the first rodeo of the year. It wears you out just getting to it. We will be closer to home now, and they got their feet wet. I think we’ve got a good chance moving forward.”
MEN’S RESULTS
Bryson Crawford (Felda, Fla.) and Cayden Roland (Childersburg, Ala.; Fayetteville) each made it to the championship round in calf roping. Crawford had a time of 11 seconds, and Roland earned 11.3 seconds. Neither registered a time in their championship round ride.
Tate Joiner (Husser, La.; Loranger) and Jake White (Albany, La.; Holden School) had solid season debuts in steer wrestling. Joiner registered times of 5.2 seconds and 5.8 seconds to earn third overall.
“Tate did really well in bulldogging and was really close in calf roping,” Graves said. “I was really happy for him with it being his first rodeo. He had a little bit of nerves behind him.”
White made the championship round with a time of 8.5 in his opening run. His second round time of 10.4 seconds put him in eighth place.
The first-year team roping duo Zane Pittman (Beaumont) and JR Grimes (Carthage; Carthage Christian Academy) had a great first collegiate rodeo, finishing fourth overall. They opened the rodeo with a 9.6 in the first round. A second-round time of 17.3 seconds pushed them back in the standings.
“My freshman team did a really good job this weekend,” Graves said. “I was really proud of them for their first time.”
White and Trevor DeLee (St. Francisville, La.) also made the short-go in team roping. They were in fourth place, but a no-time in the championship round pushed them out of competition.
In his first collegiate rodeo, Rowdy Weaver (Wesson) took third place in bull riding, earning 80 points with his performance.
WOMEN’S RESULTS
Erin McLaughlin (Bunnell, Fla.) got off to a hot start, advancing to the championship round in breakaway roping and goat tying. In breakaway roping, McLaughlin had a time of 2.7 seconds but couldn’t register a time in the championship round. She had a 7.6-second finish in the opening round of goat tying and followed it up with a 9.5 in the short go. She finished fifth overall in the event.
“Erin did well this weekend,” Graves said. “She made it to the short-go in both of her events. Her draws in the short round hurt her, but I was proud of her for the way she competed.”
UP NEXT
Pearl River heads to Livingston, Ala. on Thursday for the West Alabama Rodeo.
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