Host Lions post solid showings in EMCC’s Seventh Annual Intercollegiate Rodeo in Meridian

MERIDIAN – The East Mississippi Community College rodeo teams opened the spring portion of the NIRA Ozark Region schedule by hosting its Seventh Annual Intercollegiate Rodeo this past weekend at the Lauderdale County Agri-Center.  With three-day rodeo action concluding Saturday night, the EMCC men and women placed fifth and tied for sixth, respectively.

Missouri Valley College swept the men's and women's team titles with 855 and 185 points, respectively.  In the men's competition, West Alabama placed second with 525 points and UT Martin followed close behind with 490 points.  On the women's side, Murray State and Southern Arkansas finished right behind first-place MVC with 180 and 175 points, respectively.

Individually for the EMCC men, Myles Neighbors earned third-place honors and 100 points in the tie-down roping event with an average score of 19.5 on runs of 9.1 and 10.4 seconds.

The remainder of the Lions' 280 points in the men's competition was collected in team roping.  EMCC's Morgan Mills paired with West Alabama's Hunter Crofford to claim runner-up honors and 100 points apiece following runs of 7.4 and 8.7 seconds for a 16.1 average.  In addition, the Lion team roping tandems of Austin Roebuck/Brandon Callen and Clay Green/Weston Pender secured EMCC's other 80 team points between them.

On the women's side for EMCC, Blair Bryant placed second and grabbed 100 points by finishing second in breakaway roping after runs of 2.3 and 2.8 seconds for an average score of 5.1  Teammate Jadi Gibbs also made it back to the short go in the event but did not register a time on her final run.

EMCC's other 20 team points on the women's side were earned by Carli Hodges in the barrel racing competition.  Teammate Kayley Kennemer also advanced to the short go in the event.

Coach Morgan Goodrich's East Mississippi rodeo teams will resume their Ozark Region spring schedule, March 28-30, at the University of Arkansas at Monticello.