East Mississippi rodeo teams place fourth and seventh at Three Rivers College event
In their second action of the fall rodeo season, East Mississippi Community College placed fourth in women's team competition and finished seventh on the men's side this past weekend at the Three Rivers Raider Rodeo.
POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. – In their second action of the fall rodeo season, East Mississippi Community College placed fourth in women's team competition and finished seventh on the men's side this past weekend at the Three Rivers Raider Rodeo. The three-day inaugural event, hosted by Three Rivers College, concluded Saturday evening at the Black River Coliseum.
On the heels of making school history by earning the program's first women's rodeo team title a week ago at Missouri Valley College, the EMCC Lady Lions collected 175 team points this past week to finish behind Southern Arkansas University (240 pts), host Three Rivers (270) and team champion Missouri Valley (480).
EMCC cowgirls Shay Atkins and Katelyn Nicholson both scored in the barrel racing competition. Atkins, a product of West Point's Oak Hill Academy, placed second with a collective time of 24.45, while Nicholson garnered 60 team points (25.51 seconds) for her fifth-place effort. Also for the Lady Lions, Troy transfer Kelsey Kennemer finished fourth in the breakaway roping event with a composite score of 5.8 seconds. In team roping, the tandem of Destyn Ladner and Lee Shumaker rounded out the scoring for the EMCC women's team.
On the men's side, the Lions earned 85 team points with bull riders Blake Bell and Justin Reeves finishing third and fifth, respectively, in their specialty event.
With a comfortable 230-point team victory (1,010-780) over reigning national champion Tennessee-Martin, Missouri Valley completed the sweep by taking the men's title as well.
The University of West Alabama men finished third with 480 points, as former EMCC cowboys Scooter Scarbrough and Shane Overby contributed 300 points for UWA. Overby was part of the Tigers' winning team roping tandem, while Scarbrough claimed runner-up honors in the tie down roping competition.
Coach Morgan Goodrich's East Mississippi rodeo team continues fall competition, Oct. 23-25, at Murray State University.