East Mississippi enjoys team and individual rodeo success during season-opening event in Missouri

MARSHALL, Mo. – The East Mississippi Community College rodeo teams had a successful start to their 2015-16 campaign this past weekend by finishing third in men's competition and fourth in women's action at the season-opening Viking Stampede Rodeo.  The three-day event hosted by Missouri Valley College concluded Saturday night at the Saline County Fairgrounds.

EMCC also enjoyed individual success during the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association's Ozark Region season opener, as sophomore Katelyn Nicholson earned All-Around Cowgirl honors and newcomer Marcus Theriot claimed Reserve All-Around Cowboy recognition for his second-place finish.

Nicholson, from Lawrence, collected all 230 of EMCC's points on the women's side by winning the barrel racing competition and finishing fifth overall in the goat tying event after placing third during the short-go round.   

On the men's side for East Mississippi, Theriot paired with UT Martin's Lane Mitchell to capture top honors and earn 165 points in team roping.  Theriot, from, Poplarville, earned another 80 points for his fourth-place finish in the steer wrestling event.

Also for the EMCC men, Max Dever-Boaz, of Senatobia, garnered 80 points with a fourth-place showing in the calf roping competition, while Oak Hill Academy product Palmer White picked up 40 points for sixth place in steer wrestling.

EMCC's 365 total points in the men's competition ranked third behind runner-up UT Martin (530 points) and team champion Missouri Valley (645).

Host Missouri Valley College also claimed a share of women's team honors along with Arkansas-Monticello with 265 points apiece, followed by third-place Three Rivers College (235).

Coach Morgan Goodrich's East Mississippi rodeo teams will be back in action, Oct. 8-10, at the University of West Alabama in Livingston.