EMCC rodeo teams place sixth at UWA College Rodeo Showdown

LIVINGSTON, Ala. – East Mississippi Community College claimed a pair of sixth-place team finishes this past weekend at the annual UWA College Rodeo Showdown hosted by the University of West Alabama.  The three-day event concluded Saturday night at the Don C. Hines Rodeo Complex.

In the men's competition, Myles Neighbors made his EMCC rodeo debut by finishing fourth in the steer wrestling event.  Neighbors, who earlier this year claimed the Jr. Ironman Championship title, grabbed top honors in the short go-round with a 4.5-second effort to collect the Lions' 100 team points at UWA.  The Benton, Ark., native and Northeast Texas Community College transfer also made it back to the short go in the tie down roping competition but did not place.

Also for the EMCC men, Blake Crawford and Austin Roebuck earned 10 individual points apiece with a 9.6-second showing in the first round of the team roping event.

On the women's side, EMCC freshman Blair Bryant placed third in the short go-round of barrel racing with a time of 16.24 seconds.  The Hatchechubbee, Ala., native also finished third in the average (33.04 seconds) to tie for fourth place overall with EMCC's 80 women's team points.

In addition, EMCC's Jadi Gibbs and Taylor Vollin made it back to the short go in the barrel racing and goat tying events, respectively, but neither was able to score.

During team competition at the UWA event, the Missouri Valley College men finished ahead of UT Martin, 655-600, while Arkansas-Monticello edged out Missouri Valley, 240-235, to claim the women's title. 

Coach Morgan Goodrich's East Mississippi rodeo teams will continue their NIRA Ozark Region fall schedule by competing at the Three Rivers College-hosted event, Oct. 11-13, in Sikeston, Mo.