Rodeo Teams Place Second & Third at UT-Martin Rodeo
Martin, Tenn., (April 20, 2025)- The Missouri Valley College men's and women's rodeo teams competed at the Tennessee-Martin rodeo in Martin, Tenn., over the weekend. The men's team placed second with two event winners, and the women's team took third.
In bareback riding, the men's team was led by Sophomore Jason Wilson (Pownal, Vt.) who placed first in the average with a 167. Wilson won the first go-round with an 87, and followed with an 81 in the second go-round. He finished with 170 points. Junior Bryce Eck (Redfield, Kan.) was second in the average with a 159, which included an 82 in the second go-round to place second. Eck earned 100 points. Junior Kooper Heimburg (San Tan Valley, Ariz.) was third in the average with a 157. Heimburg placed fifth in the first go-round with a 75, then won the second go-round with an 82, and earned 115 points. Freshman Collin Roland (Fayetteville, Ala.) and Senior Drew Lind (Weyauwega, Wisc.) tied for fourth in the average, both with a 155. The pair tied for third in the first go-round with scores of 77, and tied for fifth in the second go-round with scores of 78. Both earned 70 points. Also, Junior Hayden Leavell (Ozark, Ark.) was fourth in the second go-round with a 79 and earned 30 points.
The team was led in saddle bronc riding by Sophomore Walker McAbee (Woodruff, S.C.), who placed first in the average with a 156. McAbee won the first go-round with a 79 and followed with a 77 to place second in the second go-round. He earned 170 points. Freshman Treg Huver (Nashville, Mich.) was fourth in the average with a 135. Huver placed third in the first go-round with a 73 and fourth in the second go-round with a 30 to earn 100 points. Eck finished fifth in the average with a 65, which also put him fifth in the first go-round. Eck earned 40 points. Freshman Judd Pope (Garnett, Kan.) was sixth in the average with a 61, which was earned in the first go-round to collect 20 points. Freshman Ethan Archer (Holem, Wisc.) was fifth in the second go-round with a 57 to earn 20 points.
Also for the men's team, Sophomore Carson Ball (Bruner, Mo.) finished second in the steer wrestling average with a 9.3. Ball was fourth in the first go-round with a 4.9, and followed at third in the second go-round with a 4.4. He earned 120 points. Leavell finished sixth in both go-rounds of steer wrestling, with scores of 5.3 and 5.5 to earn 15 points.
The women's team was led by Sophomore Alexis Neff (Marshall, Mo.) who was second in the breakaway roping average with a 5.6. Neff had a 2.7 in the first go-round, and followed with a 2.9 to place second in the second go-round to earn a total of 100 points. Freshman Kate Brisbane (Kearney, Mo.) finished second in the goat tying average with a 14.4. Brisbane placed second in the first go-round with a 6.6 and was fifth in the second go-round with a 7.8 to earn a total of 115 points. Freshman Codie Vaughn (Searcy, Ark.) was sixth in the event average with a 15.0. Vaughn placed fifth in the first go-round with a 7.6 and was fourth in the second go-round with a 7.4 to earn 45 points.
In the team standings, the Vikings finished second on the men's side with 615 points. West Alabama won the rodeo with 690 points. The women's team placed third with 160 points. Murray State (Ky.) won with 270 points, and West Alabama was second with 215 points.
Up next, the Missouri Valley rodeo teams will close their regular seasons with competition at the Northwest Mississippi rodeo in Senatobia, Miss., April 24-26.
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About Missouri Valley College
Standing out as one of the most innovative and student-focused liberal arts colleges in the Midwest, Missouri Valley College (MVC) is committed to preparing students for success beyond the classroom. Through the Viking Voyage program, MVC prioritizes career readiness from day one, equipping students with the knowledge and skills needed to excel after graduation. Each of MVC's 30+ in-demand majors—including nursing, business, cybersecurity, computer science, criminal justice, and exercise science—integrates personal instruction, experiential learning, and professional opportunities to prepare graduates to thrive in a rapidly changing and globally connected world. At Missouri Valley College, higher education is more than earning a degree—it's a transformative journey that begins with the end.