All-Around Cowboy Marcus Theriot leads EMCC to runner-up finish at West Alabama Rodeo Showdown

LIVINGSTON, Ala. – The East Mississippi Community College rodeo team posted a second straight sterling performance to open the fall season by finishing as men's runners-up and in third place on the women's side at this past weekend's University of West Alabama Rodeo Showdown.  The three-day National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association Ozark Region event concluded Saturday night at the Don C. Hines Rodeo Complex on the UWA campus.

Highlighted by newcomer Marcus Theriot's All-Around Cowboy performance, the EMCC men's squad totaled 655 points to rank second behind only the 835 points compiled by the University of Tennessee at Martin.  Missouri Valley College and Southern Arkansas University followed with 510 and 410 points, respectively.

Coming off his Reserve All-Around Cowboy effort during his collegiate debut two weeks ago at the fall-opening, Missouri Valley-hosted rodeo, Theriot individually accounted for 460 points at UWA with a pair of first-place finishes and a second-place showing.  The 2014 National High School Finals Rodeo All-Around Cowboy collected 165 points to win the tie down roping competition with an 8.2-second effort during the second-go round.  This year's Mississippi High School Rodeo Association Boys All-Around Champion teamed with UT Martin's Lane Mitchell to garner 170 points for the tandem's second straight team roping win to open the 2015-16 rodeo campaign.  Theriot, a Poplarville native, also earned 125 points for his second-place finish in the steer wrestling event.

For the EMCC men's team, Kody Rinehart claimed third-place honors and 130 points in saddle bronc riding, while Cooper Christensen and Charlie Langley also advanced to Saturday's finals in steer wrestling.  In addition, East Mississippi's Trey Gargis and Weston Pender scored as a tandem in the team roping competition.

On the women's side, host West Alabama and the University of Arkansas at Monticello tied for team honors with 280 points apiece, followed closely by EMCC's 230 points.

Individually for the East Mississippi women, Lawrence's Katelyn Nicholson captured her second barrel racing title of the fall season by collecting 170 points with her 36.66 average score.  Bailey Matthews earned EMCC's other 60 points with her fifth-place effort in the breakaway roping competition.

Coach Morgan Goodrich's East Mississippi rodeo team will continue NIRA Ozark Region fall competition this week, Oct. 15-17, at Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky.