By SHANNON NESSERALLA, Senior Reporter
The Northwestern rodeo team traveled to the Nutrien Ag Solutions Fort Hays State University 56th Annual Rodeo over the weekend.
Fort Hays hosted eight different events during the rodeo, including bareback, tie-down, breakaway, saddle bronc, steer wrestling, goats, team roping, barrel racing and bull riding.
In those eight events, only five participants made it to the short go Saturday night.
In the tie-down, Tyler Scheevel made it with a time of 13.2 seconds, and Brandon Hittle made it in 10.2 seconds.
In steer wresting, Sterling Lee made it in 7.3 seconds, while Kaden Greenfield made it in 6.1 seconds.
Samantha Chambers made it with a time of 16.52 seconds in the barrel race.
Hittle sat at second place with a time of 10.2 seconds.
“I knew going into the short round I was sitting second and I just needed to do what I did the day before to hopefully win,” Hittle said. “Unfortunately, I didn’t make it quite as fast as I needed.”
Samantha Chambers was sitting second before the short run, with her time of 16.52 seconds in the barrel race.
“Sitting so high up is always nerve-racking because you want to do even better for a chance to win,” Chambers said. “You really just have to trust in your horse to go as fast as they can and follow demands as quickly as you give them.”
The Northwestern men’s rodeo team is in eighth place in their region, while the women’s team is in seventh.
The rodeo team also welcomed four new commits for the 2022 fall semester. Emily Bules signed to compete in the barrel race.
Kylee Altmiller signed for steer wrestling. Hayden Koechel and Ashton Cassidy both signed for team roping.
The Ranger rodeo team will compete next at Oklahoma Panhandle State University in Guymon from April 28 through April 30.