Rodeo Teams Take First & Second Place at East Mississippi
Meridian, Miss., (March 15, 2026)- The Missouri Valley College men's and women's rodeo teams continued their spring competition seasons at the East Mississippi rodeo in Meridian, Miss., over the weekend. The Viking cowboys finished first, and the cowgirls took second. Both teams combined for four event winners in the average.
In bareback riding, Missouri Valley claimed four of the top five spots in the average. Senior Kooper Heimburg (San Tan Valley, Ariz.) was first overall with a 162 in the average. Heimburg finished third in the first go-round with a 79, and won the second go-round with an 83. He collected 155 points. Sophomore Jason Wilson (Bennington, Vt.) was second in the average with a 154, after winning the first go-round with an 82 and placing fifth in the second go-round with a 72. Wilson earned 130 points. Senior Hayden Leavell (Ozark, Ark.) tied for third in the average with a 152. Leavell was third in each go-round, with rides of 79 and 73 to earn 110 points. Sophomore Judd Pope (Garnett, Kan.) placed fifth in the average with a 151.5. Pope tied for third in the first go-round with a 79, and was fourth in the second go-round with a 72.5 to earn 85 points. Sophomore Collin Roland (Childersburg, Ala.) tied for third in the first go-round with a 79, to earn 35 points, and Senior Brodie Sims (Thomasville, Ala.) was sixth in the second go-round with a 64, to earn 10 points.
In saddle bronc riding, Freshman Creek Caldwell (Bainbridge, Ind.) was first in the average with a 160. He was second in the first go-round with a 79.5, then won the second go-round with an 80.5 to earn 170 points. Pope was second in the average with a 157 after winning the first go-round with an 80, and following with a 77 to finish in a tie for second in the second go-round. Pope earned 155 points. Sophomore Treg Huver (Nashville, Mich.) and Junior Walker McAbee (Woodruff, S.C.) tied for third in the average, both finishing with a 150. McAbee was third in the first go-round with a 77, and fourth in the second go-round with a 73 to finish with 105 points. Huver was fourth in the first go-round with a 73 and tied for second in the second go-round with a 77 to finish with 110 points.
Also placing first in the average was Freshman Jace Hensley (Paola, Kan.) in bull riding with a 167. Hensley won both go-rounds with rides of 83 and 84 to earn 180 points. In calf roping, Freshman John Higgins (Greentop, Mo.) placed fifth in the average with an 11.5, which was his time that placed him fourth in the first go-round. Higgins earned 50 points.
Leading the women's team was Freshman Victoria Whitehead (Jones, Okla.), who finished first in the goat tying average with a 14.2. Whitehead won both go-rounds with rides of 7.2 and 7.0 to earn 180 points. Freshman Josie Waldenberger (Holmen, Wisc.) was second in the goat tying average with a 15.0. Waldenberger tied for second in both go-rounds with rides of 7.6 and 7.4 to finish with 140 points. Freshman Hailey Donald (Oden, Ark.) was third in the goat tying average with a 15.3. Donald tied for fifth in the first go-round with a 7.9 and tied for second in the second go-round with a 7.4 to finish with 100 points. Freshman Jolene Rhyne (Craig, Mo.) tied for fifth in the first go-round of goat tying, with a 7.9, and earned 15 points.
In barrel racing Junior Kalyani Das (Las Cruces, N.M.) was third in the average with a 29.88. Das finished second in the first go-round and third in the second go-round, finishing with a 14.94 in each ride, to earn 130 points. Freshman Dakota Murphy (Freeburg, Ill.) placed sixth in the average with a 30.67. Murphy was sixth in both go-rounds, with rides of 15.1 and 15.57, and earned 30 points. Senior Grace Waldenberger (Holmen, Wisc.) was third in the first go-round with a time of 14.98 and earned 40 points. In breakaway roping, Sophomore Ruby Espey (Lone Jack, Mo.) was fourth in the average with a 15.7. Espey finished in a tie for fourth with a 2.8, and was fifth in the second go-round with a 12.9 to earn 75 points. Sophomore Kate Brisbane (Kearney, Mo.) tied for fourth in the first go-round of the event, with a 2.8, and earned 25 points.
The team standings, the Viking cowboys won with a total of 710 points. West Alabama was second with 540 points. The Viking cowgirls were second overall 205 points, behind West Alabama, which earned 240 points.
Up next, the Missouri Valley College rodeo teams will compete at the Pearl River (Miss.) rodeo in Poplarville, Miss., Thursday through Saturday at 7 p.m., each evening.
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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.