By BRAXTYN TURNER
The Northwestern Oklahoma State men’s rodeo team finished third in the standings and captured the men’s all-around title at the 53rd Southwestern Oklahoma State University Rodeo.
Led by their dominant showing in steer wrestling, the Rangers totaled 435 points over the three-day event, with consistent efforts across multiple events.
Leading the way was Hazen Sparks, who earned the men’s all-around title for the Rangers. He left with a second place finish in steer wrestling and sixth place finish in tie-down roping.
Sparks totaled 140 points in steer wrestling and added 40 points with his tie-down performance to secure the title.
“We’re obviously really excited about it,” said Cali Griffin, coach of both the men’s and women’s rodeo teams. “He’s kind of been figuring things out this year, changing horses and stuff, and it went really great for him. He’s winning a lot. We are really happy for him and excited it’s paying off.”
Northwestern’s biggest success came in steer wrestling, where four athletes finished in the top six. Tydon Tsosie won the event with 150 points and $480 in earnings. Sparks followed with his runner-up finish, and freshman Riley Smith placed fourth with Nathan Duvall following up in sixth.
In tie-down roping, Carter Anderson tied for fourth place with 70 points, while Sparks added to his all-around total with a sixth place finish.
The Lady Rangers also found success with Y’leigh Yarborough’s fourth place finish in breakaway roping. She earned 80 points for the Rangers and $839.52.
Despite the individual success, the Lady Rangers did not record a team score for the Rodeo and did not place high on the leaderboard.
The men’s rodeo team finished in third behind Garden City Community College and Fort Scott Community College in the team standings.
The men continue to gather points as the Central Plains Region season nears its end.
The Rangers look to build and continue this momentum as they head into the final stretch of the regular season.
“There’s small things we’re tweaking,” Griffin said. “There’s just a few things to tune up, some people changing horses. Other than that, we are just keeping our heads down and practicing as hard as we can, trying to get everything done before we have to leave.”
Northwestern’s rodeo teams will return to action April 16-18 at Fort Hays State University.