POPLARVILLE, Miss. — Pearl River Community College hosted its annual rodeo over the weekend, and the Wildcats were sure to put on a show. The women’s team tallied 375 points to take first place. The Wildcats scored 125 more points than the second-place team. Pearl River’s men’s team had several individuals excel but finished with 40 points as a team.
“Everything went smoothly, and we had a good rodeo. We were lucky to have a lot of sponsors this year, and we are thankful for them,” head coach Frank Graves said. “It was a lot of work to get it all together, but we really enjoyed it. We also really want to thank Chapel Hart for coming out and being part of it. We were lucky to have them join us.”
For the second time this season, Pearl River’s women’s team won first place.
“Last weekend in Meridian, we didn’t shine. They came back this weekend and were incredible,” Graves said. “I’ve got a great set of ladies, and I think from here on out, they’re going to be good. I’m really excited with how they have performed so far this season. I’m really proud of them. We have three rodeos left, so I hope they can keep it going, and we can send an entire team out to Nationals.”
WOMEN’S RESULTS
Mollie Rae Kinchen (Tickfaw, La.; Ponchatoula) registered a time of three seconds in breakaway roping to advance to Saturday’s short go round. She added a time of 4.4 in the short go to finish with an average of 7.4. She finished sixth in average and earned 25 points.
Kate Eiland (Kentwood, La.) excelled once again for Pearl River, advancing to the short go with a stellar 2.6 second time in the opening round of breakaway roping. She followed it up by earning a three-second time in the short go to finish tied for third in the average. She collected 110 points for the Wildcats.
Eiland came up big once again for PRCC in goat tying. She earned a spot in the short go following a stellar time of 7.6 seconds in goat tying. She improved by six-tenths of a second in the short go to win the event with a 14.6 average. She collected 160 points for the event.
“She works so hard at what she does and always has. She’s unbelievable in her events,” Graves said. “I feel so lucky to have her as a Wildcat. She’s got a work ethic that is unbelievable. Sometimes, at practice, she wants to run too many times. That’s how hard she works. She’s an outstanding athlete.”
Erin McLaughlin. (Bunnell, Fla.; Matanzas) also made the short go in goat tying, adding a time of 7.7 seconds in her opening round. She had a bit of tough luck in her final run, adding a time of 13.4 seconds to finish with 21.1 seconds total. She still earned 30 points for her opening-round performance.
Sydney Poole (Robertsdale, Ala.) turned in a 15-second ride in the opening round of barrel racing to tie for first place and advance to the short go. She turned in a 15.59 in the second round but knocked over a barrel to add a five-second penalty. She finished in sixth place overall and earned 75 points for the event.
MEN’S RESULTS
Evan Bourdon (Sheridan, Ind.) and Brodie Maddox (Wetumpka, Ala.; Elmore) each earned a spot in the short go round in steer wrestling after times of 6.9 and 5.4, respectively. Bourdon improved in the short go and finished with 13 seconds total. He finished in fifth, earning 40 points. Maddox failed to register a time in the short go round but earned 10 points for his opening round ride.
“Brodie just didn’t draw a very good steer in the short go,” Graves said. “Evan made two good runs and just had one of the stronger steers. He’s staying steady and strong.”
In team roping, Jacob Perry (Pelahatchie, Miss.) and Trevor Roberts (Beaumont, Miss.) earned a spot in the short go after winning the opening round with an impressive time of 5.3 seconds. Unfortunately, the duo did not register a time in the second round. The team earned 90 points.
Trevor Delee (Saint Francisville, La.) and Jake White (Albany, La.) advanced to the short go with a first-round time of 11.9 seconds in team roping. The team could not earn a time in their final ride of the weekend but still earned 10 points for their first-round efforts.
NEXT UP
The Wildcats are back in action April 4-6 for the Arkansas-Monticello rodeo.
For the latest on Pearl River Community College athletics, follow us on Twitter (@PRCCAthletics) and Facebook (PRCCAthletics).
