EMCC women's rodeo team makes school history with first-place finish in fall opener at Missouri Valley College

MARSHALL, Mo. – East Mississippi Community College's rodeo program made school history this past weekend by claiming a first-ever women's team title at the fall-opening MVC Viking Rodeo Stampede.  Hosted by Missouri Valley College, the three-day Ozark Region event concluded Saturday evening at the Saline County Fairgrounds.

The women's victory marked the EMCC rodeo program's fourth overall team title under fifth-year head rodeo coach Morgan Goodrich, joining the three previous men's rodeo team titles earned by the Lions since the program's inception in 2010.  With 230 team points this past weekend, the EMCC women edged out Southern Arkansas University (200 points) and host MVC (185).  

For East Mississippi's cowgirls in the season opener, sophomore Hayley Joh Knox led the way by claiming second-place honors in the breakaway roping event to earn 120 points.  Newcomer Kelsey Kennemer, a transfer from Troy University, paired with former EMCC cowboy and current Arkansas-Monticello performer Martin Walker to tie for third place in the team roping competition.  Rounding out EMCC's scoring on the women's side, sophomore Katelyn Nicholson earned 30 points for her sixth-place showing in the barrel racing event.

On the men's side, EMCC placed fifth in the season opener with 175 team points.  Host Missouri Valley easily claimed the men's title by totaling 865 points, followed by West Alabama and Tennessee-Martin with 465 and 445 points, respectively.

The Lions' team roping tandem of Cooper Christensen and T.J. Coleman finished third, while the roping duo of Ivan Holliday and Dustin Egusquiza also collected team points.  Individually, Christensen placed fifth in the calf roping event to garner 55 points for EMCC.   Palmer White and Bailey Kinard also scored for the EMCC men in the steer wrestling and bareback riding events, respectively.

Perhaps highlighting EMCC men's competition this past weekend, sophomore bull rider Justin Reeves bounced back from last year's injury-shortened season to place second in his specialty event at MVC.

Heading back to the state of Missouri, the East Mississippi Community College rodeo team continues Ozark Region competition this week (Oct. 2-4) at Three Rivers College in Poplar Bluff, Mo.