T-Bird (Rodeo) Puts 5 in the Short Round at Vernon
The Thunderbirds had their most successful rodeo to date at the Vernon College Rodeo sending three women and a team roping duo to the Short Round on Saturday, Nov. 9.
The men were led by the dynamic duo of Holland Taylor-Roukema and Irvin Varela as they reached the Short Round for the third straight time.
Roukema and Varela finished seventh in the Long Round with a 6.2 second finish. They followed up that performance with a 7.9 second run to place fourth in the Short Round. The team finished fourth in the average at 14.1 seconds.
"Holland and Irvin had another great rodeo at Vernon. They drew a really good steer in the first round and got him caught for 7th place," men's rodeo head coach Stewy Kinley said. "The steer they had in the short round was stronger than he was in the first round so they had to run him down and go get him caught. I'm proud of these guys for using their heads and changing their game plan. They managed to salvage a few points out of it and get a little farther ahead in the standings.
Holland and Varela earned 30 points in the Short Round and 30 points in the average for a total of 60 points each. They still are first in the Southwest Region Team Roping Standings at 260 points in the header/heeler rankings which is a 55-point lead over the nearest competitors.
"We've had a great fall semester and enjoyed some success but it's time to finish the semester strong in the classroom and be ready for the spring rodeos," Coach Kinley said. "Each student has to reevaluate their situation individually as well. Some need to keep mashing on the gas and entering more fall and winter rodeos. We've got several kids competing in Las Vegas early in December during the National Finals Rodeo. They've got chances to win a pile of money. Others need to give their good horses a bit of a break and then we'll all come back in January and start preparing for the spring rodeos."
The T-Bird men are in ninth place in the region with 515 points so far this season.
"As far as our fall success goes, I think the difference has been that these guys are getting in the groove and not getting ahead of themselves," Coach Kinley said. "They're just doing the same thing at the rodeos that they do in practice every day. We've had some really good draws and used them. We've also had some guys have horrible draws and plenty of tough luck, so I think the best is still yet to come in the spring. Our roughstock guys have also been riding really well and I'm looking forward to them having a good spring semester as well."
The women's team had a huge week in Vernon, Texas with three Cowgirls making it to the Short Round.
"Before the rodeo, I tried to remind the team that it only takes one run to turn your season around," NMJC women's rodeo head coach Alexa Wilcox said. "I hope all three of our Short Round qualifiers take the momentum they established in Vernon into the spring semester to continue the success."
Ashley Weber recorded an 8.0 second Long Round run in the goat tying to sneak into the Short Round in 10th place. Weber went on to post an 8.7 second finish in the Short Round to end up T-4 earning herself 20 points. She finished T-7 at 16.7 in average to grab five more points for a total of 25 points at the rodeo.
Taci Flinn was seventh in the Long Round with a 17.52 finish in the barrel racing. Flinn backed it up with a sixth-place finish coming across the timer in 17.73 seconds to earn 10 points. The 35.25 average also earned her 10 points after placing sixth in average for a total of 20 points at the Vernon Rodeo.
Taiga Thorsteinsson was the final member of the women's team to make it to the Short Round in Vernon. Thorsteinsson made it to the Short Round after finishing 7th-9th in the Long Round in the breakaway roping with a time of 3.8 seconds. She unfortunately no timed in the Short Round and placed T-9 in the final fall rodeo.
"I was proud of the athletes for staying focused and motivated for the last college rodeo, even with an extended season," Coach Wilcox said. "Taci and Taiga are both in their third year, so I was glad to see them both have some success. With so many competitors in our region, making the short round is something to celebrate no matter what."
The Thunderbirds will receive some rest before starting the spring season at the Odessa College Rodeo February 27- March 1.
"I think breaks and rest are important, so I'm encouraging my team to take a break and a mental reset for both them and their animal athletes, but then to get right back to work over the coming Christmas break," Coach Wilcox said. "They are able to take advantage of these last few weeks of the semester to finish strong in their classes and re-focus on their foundational skills. Hopefully, they'll enter different events over the break and then be ready to start back to work in January."