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Pressure is an essential part of rodeo. Rodeo athletes looking to win feel it all the time.For some pressure make them thrive. For some pressure beats them down. At Northwestern’s College Rodeo on Oct. 26-28, the men’s rodeo team thrived under the
pressure.
The team won the weekend with 795 points, which was 425 points ahead of second place team, Fort Scott Community College. A key athlete for the Ranger men was Cody Devers, a senior from Perryton, Texas. Devers was winning the steer
wrestling standings coming into the weekend, but he wasn’t going to sit back and during his home rodeo.
“Even though I was winning it already, I just planned on doing the best I could on each one of my steers,” Devers said. “That is my game plan going into every rodeo.”
Devers did just that. He won the long round with a 4.0 second run, and won the short round with a 4.7 second run. “I’ve been trying to win [Alva’s rodeo] for four years, and I’m glad I finally got it won,” he said. “We practice in there all the time, and it means a lot to win a hometown rodeo.”
Northwestern has a home-town rodeo that most students are proud of. The stands were packed and the arena was loud throughout the weekend. That support system helped Devers achieve the win. “All of the rodeo team is really supportive, my parents came, other students, teachers and everybody was cheering,” Devers said. “It was great.”
With the rowdy crowd and the large support system the pressure was up for Devers in the Alva Dome on Saturday night.
“There is a little bit more pressure, knowing that everybody you know is there watching and cheering you on. But
pressure can help you,” he said. “It seems that the more pressure I have the better I do. It pumps me up.”
Devers was just one of the men that helped the Rangers. Overall the men’s team won the rodeo with 795 points. In the steer wrestling besides Devers, Maverick Harper, Bridger Anderson, Riley Wakefield, Talon Roseland, Riley Westhaver and Colton Madison, made the short round.
Devers rode a horse he just trained last year. “Her name is Sassy,” Devers said. “She is eight years old, and I started her last year. She has been working really good. She won first with me and second with Maverick Harper.”
The men also dominated the tie-down roping. Ethan Price and Harper placed third and fourth, respectively. Wakefield and Grayson Allred made the short round in the tie-down roping also. Unfortunately the men only placed once in the team roping.
Wakefield and Jaydon Johnson won second in the team roping. Another event that only had one Ranger in the short round
was the goat tying. Jennifer Massing placed ninth in the goat tying for the weekend, which contributed to the women’s
team third place win.
Massing also placed fourth in the breakaway roping, which won her the weekend All- Around Championship title. Other Ranger women that made the short round in the breakaway were Bailey Wiseman, Melissa Couture and Sierra Mullet.
In the barrel racing the women had three make the short round. Cassy Woodward and Ashlyn Moeder placed third and fourth.
Sara Bynum tipped a barrel in the short round, which took her out of the average.
The Ranger’s next college rodeo won’t be until spring, but that doesn’t mean the Rangers will be sitting back and waiting around. “During the off-season I am going to practice a lot and go to a lot of Pro Rodeos,” Devers said.