Team ropers pace EMCC Lions to runner-up men’s team finish at UWA Rodeo Showdown

LIVINGSTON, Ala. — East Mississippi Community College's team ropers combined for 580 total points to help lead the Lions to men's team runner-up honors at the UWA Rodeo Showdown held this past weekend on the University of West Alabama campus. The three-day NIRA Ozark Region event concluded with Saturday's championship round contested at UWA's Hines-Spree Rodeo Complex.

Leading the way for EMCC's eight team ropers who advanced to Saturday's finals were newcomers Dylan Delmas (Athens, AL) and Waylon Buskirk (Shannon). The tandem posted second-place times of 6.5 and 6.7 seconds in the first and second rounds, respectively, for a winning aggregate score of 13.2 seconds that collected 320 points between them.

Another EMCC team roping duo comprised of Tyler Brooks (South Fulton, TN) and Scooba's Matt Watt recorded a winning effort of 6.2 seconds in the opening round en route to placing fourth overall with 160 combined points.

East Mississippi also had a mixed team roping pairing that featured Ryleigh Parker (Hayesville, NC) and Carson Powell (Benton, AR), who finished third in the second round with a time of 6.9 seconds to garner 50 points apiece for the EMCC women's and men's teams, respectively.

The Lions also had men's team members Tanner Brown (Florence) and Bronc Rowland (Merced, CA) pair with participants from other schools to garner points for their respective teams. Brown and former EMCC teammate Laine Moore, who is now competing for Northwest Mississippi CC, claimed 50 points apiece. Rowland and Missouri Valley College's Easton Kerby each earned 20 individual points.

In addition for the EMCC men, Powell advanced to Saturday's championship round in both tie-down roping and steer wrestling for the second straight week but did not score in either event. On the women's side, EMCC's Rennie Chavis (Wagener, SC) made it back to the barrel racing finals but did not score.

For the second time in as many rodeos this fall, Missouri Valley College and West Alabama captured the men's and women's team titles with 770 and 440 total points, respectively, this past weekend at UWA. Three Rivers College (500 pts) and West Alabama (440 pts) finished third and fourth, respectively, in the men's standings. In the women's competition, Missouri Valley and Southern Arkansas University placed second and third with 270 and 265 team points, respectively.

Head coach Morgan Goodrich's East Mississippi rodeo teams continue NIRA Ozark Region fall competition this week by traveling to Sikeston, Missouri for the three-day event (Oct. 5-7) hosted by Three Rivers College.