Rodeo Teams Open Spring Season at Murray State
Murray, Ky., (March 8, 2026)- The Missouri Valley College rodeo teams opened their spring competition season at the Murray (Ky.) State rodeo in Murray, Ky., over the weekend. The men's team placed first overall, and both teams combined for four event winners in the average.
In bareback riding, the men's team claimed five of the top six spots in the average. Winning the average was Sophomore Jason Wilson (Bennington, Vt.) with a 164. Wilson won both go-rounds with scores of 84 and 80, and earned a total of 175 points. A pair of Vikings tied for second in the average, as both Sophomore Collin Roland (Childersburg, Ala.) and Sophomore Judd Pope (Garnett, Kan.) finished with a 159. Collin was second in the first go-round with an 83, and had a 76 in the second go-round to place fourth. Pope was third in both go-rounds with rides of 80 and 79. The pair both earned 125 points. Senior Kooper Heimburg (San Tan Valley, Ariz.) followed at fourth in the average with a 154. After a 74 in the first go-round, Heimburg tied for first in the second go-round with an 80, and earned a total of 85 points. Senior Hayden Leavell (Ozark, Ark.) was sixth in the average with a 149 and earned 40 points. Freshman Owen Prince (Humboldt, Ky.) added 15 points after placing in a tie for fifth in the first go-round with a 74, and Freshman Kade Parrish (LaVelle, Wisc.) totaled 15 points after placing in a tie for fifth in the second go-round with a 75.
Pope led the Viking cowboys in saddle bronc riding, taking first in the average with a 142. Pope was second in both go-rounds with rides of 70 and 72, and earned a total of 160 points. Sophomore Treg Huver (Nashville, Mich.) was second in the average with a 134. Huver won the first go-round with a 73, and was third in the second go-round with a 61. He earned 150 points. Junior Walker McAbee (Woodruff, S.C.) was third in the average with a 65, which he earned in the first go-round, placing third. McAbee totaled 80 points. Freshman Creek Caldwell (Bainbridge, Ind.) won the second go-round with a 76 and earned 60 points.
Also taking first in the average was Senior Kashton Mathis (Monona, Iowa) in bull riding. Mathis had a 73 to win the first go-round, and finished with a 73 in the average to earn 120 points. In steer wrestling, Leavell was fifth in the average with a 10.7. He won the second go-round with a 4.5, and finished with 80 total points.
The women's team was led by Junior Dally Orman (Blakesburg, Iowa), who placed first in the goat tying average with a 16.1. Orman won both go-rounds, finishing with an 8.1 and 8.0, and totaled 180 points. Junior Alexis Neff (Marshall, Mo.) was second in the average with a 16.3. Neff was third in the first go-round with an 8.2 and was second in the second go-round with an 8.1. Neff earned 150 points. Freshman Victoria Whitehead (Jones, Okla.) was fourth in the average with a 16.8. Neff was third in the second go-round with an 8.2 and earned 70 points. Freshman Josie Waldenberger (Holmen, Wisc.) finished fifth in the average with a 17.4, and placed fifth in the second go-round with an 8.8. Waldenberger earned 40 points. Freshman Hailey Donald (Oden, Ark.) earned 40 points after a third place finish in the first go-round with an 8.2.
In breakaway roping, Orman was second in the average with a 6.8. Orman placed in a tie for sixth with a 2.8, and followed with a second place finish in the second go-round with a 4.0. Orman earned 103.3 points. Junior Zoe Tunks (King City, Mo.) was fourth in the average with a 2.3, which was earned in the first go-round, placing second with a 2.3. Tunks earned 80 points. Neff finished sixth in the average with a 2.6, which was earned in the first go-round, placing fourth, to earn 30 points. Also, both Sophomore Ruby Espey (Lone Jack, Mo.) and Freshman Gracie Metta (Inman, S.C.) finished in a tie for sixth in the first go-round with a 2.8 apiece, and each earned 3.3 points.
Junior Kalyani Das (Las Cruces, N.M.) placed third in the barrel racing average with a 28.64. Das was fourth in the first go-round with a 14.28 and followed with a 14.36 in the second go-round to place second. Das earned 115 points.
The men's team finished first in the standings with 820 points. West Alabama followed in second place with 595 points. The women's team finished fifth with 70 points. Murray State came out first on the women's side, with 235 points.
Up next, the Viking rodeo teams travel to Scooba, Miss., for the East Mississippi rodeo, Friday through Saturday.
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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.