SE Rodeo Posts Matching Second-Place Finishes at GCCC

GARDEN CITY, Kan. – Southeastern men's and women's rodeo posted matching second place finishes as both teams turned in successful outings at the Garden City CC Rodeo over the weekend.
 
The men's team was led by Luke Thrash who turned in a 79-point ride in the long go of the bareback riding, and followed with an 80 in the finals to win that round as well and take the average.
 
Tyler Griffin was in seconds-place with a 76 after the long go, and followed up with a 74 in the finals to finish fourth in the round and third in the average for the weekend.
 
Thrash improves to third in the regional standings, while Griffin holds tight to his first-place ranking in the bareback event.
 
On the women's side, the Storm dominated the goat tying with Savage Storm competitors taking the first, second, and third-place spots after the long go.
 
Hannah Giger posted a 6.7 in the first round to win the round and matched it with a second 6.7 in the finals, winning that round as well and picking up the event victory in the average.

Kayla Earnhardt and Cara Hilzendeger each clocked a 6.9 to split second and third in the first round.
 
Earnhardt would follow up with a run of 9.7 to finish sixth in the round and sixth in the average, while Hilzendeger would suffer a no time, taking her out of the overall competition.
 
Giger's win moved her to sixth-place in the Central Plains Region in the goat tying, with Martie Shockley still holding fourth place and Bailey Witt in competition at 11^th.
 
In the breakaway roping, Hannah Hughes was the team's lone qualifier to the finals but she made the most of her chance, reaching the finals after posting a 2.2 to split 2^nd/3^rd/4^th in the long go.
 
She followed up with a 2.3 in the finals which won the round and lifted her to first in the average.
 
The win also moved her into second place in the region standings, with Mataya Eklund in eight and Giger in 14^th.
 
Eklund would round out the women's competitors by advancing to the finals in the barrel racing after clocking a first round run of 14.36 which ranked sixth after qualifying.
 
She followed up with a time of 14.63 in the finals which was good for seventh in the round and moved her to seventh in the average.
 
Back on the men's side, Bryan Moreno turned in a 72 in his first ride in the saddle bronc event which was good for fourth in the round.  His follow up mark of 82 in the finals was good for second place in the short-go and moved him up to second in the average for the weekend.
 
Tyler Pruitt finished 11^th in the long-go in the saddle bronc and is currently ranked 12^th in the region, while Moreno's finish lifted him to 11^th place in the region.
 
Gus Franzen was the team's only finals qualifier in the steer wrestling after carding a time of 7.2 in the long-go which was good for a third-place finish in the round.  He clocked a speedy 5.0 in the finals to win the short-go and move up to second place in the average for the weekend.
 
The run moved him into second place in the Central Plains Region in the steer wrestling, while Craig Parks is ranked fourth, Mason Couch is sixth, and Colton Swearingen is 14^th.
 
SE did not advance anyone to the finals in the bull riding, tie down roping, or team roping, but McKade Wickett maintains a second-place ranking in the tie down and is the 6^th-place header in the regional team roping standings. Meanwhile Hotshot Elmore and Franzen are ranked fourth and eighth, respectively, in the tie down.
 
Wickett also continues to hold the top spot in the Central Plains Region All-Around standings.
 
As a team, Southeastern's men are ranked first in the region while the women are holding onto third place.
 
The Savage Storm will be back in the arena April 7-9 at the Southwestern Oklahoma State rodeo.