East Mississippi trio set for participation in College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyo.

SCOOBA – East Mississippi Community College's annual representation in the College National Finals Rodeo will be extended to a fifth consecutive year, as three EMCC competitors are slated to participate in the upcoming CNFR, June 14-20, in Casper, Wyo.

An annual occurrence since the program's inception in 2010, head coach Morgan Goodrich's EMCC rodeo team will be represented in this year's CNFR by all-around cowgirl Kelsey Kennemer and sophomore bull riders Winston Cheek and Justin Reeves.  Week-long competition at the Casper Events Center will begin Sunday (June 14) and continue daily through the following Saturday (June 20).

Kennemer, a transfer from Troy University, earned her invitation to this year's CNFR by finishing as runner-up in the women's all-around competition within the Ozark Region of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA).  With her second-place regional finish in all-around, Kennemer is slated to compete in barrel racing as well as partner with former EMCC cowboy and current Arkansas-Monticello team member Martin Walker in team roping.  A former all-around high school champion in the states of Tennessee and Alabama, Kennemer claimed all-around titles this past season during rodeos hosted by Murray State, UA Cossatot and EMCC.

On the men's side for East Mississippi, Cheek and Reeves finished regional bull riding competition in second and third place, respectively, this past year.  A Kosciusko native, Cheek completed the 10-event, regular-season rodeo slate ranked 18^th nationally with 400 points and bull riding titles at rodeos hosted by Southern Arkansas, UT Martin and EMCC.  Reeves, a product of Newton Academy, was a two-time National High School Finals Rodeo qualifier.   

Also with East Mississippi rodeo connections and scheduled to compete during the upcoming CNFR will be former EMCC cowboy Scooter Scarbrough, who will represent the University of West Alabama in the tie down roping competition.  In addition, EMCC rodeo signee Kody Rinehart, who presently competes independently for Blue Mountain College, is scheduled to participate in saddle bronc riding at nationals.

At last year's College National Finals Rodeo, EMCC's team roping tandem of Colt Fisher and Justin Pruitt advanced to the finals in leading the Lions to their school-best, 28^th-place team finish in national competition.  Under Goodrich's guidance, East Mississippi previously garnered consecutive 35^th-place national team showings during CNFR events in 2012 and 2013.

Also representing the East Mississippi rodeo program as a proud EMCC alumnus at the 2014 College National Finals Rodeo was Oak Hill Academy product Will Lummus, who helped lead the University of Tennessee at Martin to last year's CNFR men's team national championship title.  Having finished sixth overall in the men's all-around competition a year ago, Lummus participated in the College National Finals Rodeo during all four years as a collegian after making back-to-back CNFR appearances as a member of the 2010-11 and 2011-12 EMCC rodeo squads.

Following Lummus' consecutive CNFR invites as an EMCC rodeo team member, the Lions were represented at the 2013 College National Finals Rodeo by Riley Grisham, who partnered with Ben Runyon of Missouri Valley College in the team roping event.

EMCC's previous representation at the CNFR on the women's side came three years ago when former (Macon) Central Academy product Kellie Hailey competed in the breakaway roping and goat tying events after claiming the 2012 women's all-around championship of the NIRA's Ozark Region.  Hailey finished her college rodeo career at Southern Arkansas University. 

The College National Finals Rodeo is where the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA) annually crowns individual event champions in saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, tie down roping, steer wrestling, bull riding, team roping, barrel racing, breakaway roping, and goat tying.  The top three student-athletes in each event and the top two men's and women's teams from each of the NIRA's 11 regions annually qualify for the CNFR.  With more than 400 cowboys and cowgirls from over 100 universities and colleges expected to compete individually in Casper this coming week, national team championships will also be awarded in the men's and women's divisions.

Results from this year's College National Finals Rodeo will be updated daily and available on the NIRA's website, www.collegerodeo.com.