FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                              March 23, 2004

NORTHWESTERN RODEO TEAM COMPETES IN KANSAS

            The Northwestern Oklahoma State University rodeo team participated in the Fort Scott (Kan.) Community College rodeo during spring break and had some good results.

            Preston Billadeau, a junior from Parshall, N.D., joined up with Dusty Hausauer from Oklahoma Panhandle State University in team roping and placed fifth the long round with a time of 6.1 seconds. Their time of 7.0 seconds in the short round was good for second place and they won the average.

            Also in team roping, Jordan Holland, senior from Dillon, Mont., and Tyler Garten, junior from Kingman, Kan., were 6.4 seconds in the long round, 6.9 seconds in the short round for first place and were second in the average.

            Jess Tierney, senior from Hermosa, S.D., teaming with Kolin VanAhn from Southeastern Oklahoma State University, placed seventh in the long round, but incurred a 15-second penalty in the short round for a broken barrier and a one leg catch. They still managed to place fifth in that round and fifth in the average.

            In calf roping, Billadeau and Barry Burk, senior from Ponca City, tied for sixth place in the long round with a time of 10.5 seconds. Burk drew a difficult calf in the short go and recorded 13.5 seconds for sixth in the round and sixth in the average. Billadeau was 10.0 seconds for second in both the short round and the average.

            In steer wrestling, Russell Schieber, senior from Newkirk, placed second in the long round with a time of 4.7 seconds. However, he broke the barrier in the short round for a 10-second penalty, placing him sixth in the round and sixth in the average.

            “Russell has a winning attitude and is willing to make necessary sacrifices,” said coach Tim Kolb. “I expect him to win enough in the spring rodeo season to make the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR).”

            In barrel racing, Brittany Schnee, senior from Shelby, Mont., won the long round with a time of 13.95 seconds. In the short round, she knocked over a barrel and the 5-second penalty gave her a time of 19.22 for fifth in the short round and fifth in the average.

            Jessica McMillin, senior from Goodland, Kan., was sixth in the long round with a time of 14.23 seconds. She also knocked over a barrel in the short round and was sixth in the round and sixth in the average.

            Maggie May Wood, freshman from Columbia, Mo., placed seventh in the long round at 14.29 seconds. She won the short round with a time of 14.04 seconds and ended up second in the average.

            “Maggie has a tremendous amount of talent and has several outstanding horses,” Kolb said. “I expect her collegiate rodeo career to be very successful.”

            “I feel as if we have the best girls, talent-wise, in the Central Plains region; we’re just not hitting all cylinders,” Kolb said. “They will make the necessary adjustments and come on strong at the remaining spring rodeos.

            “Our men’s team keeps doing better each week and they can see they have a chance to make the CNFR as a team. They have really raised the intensity level during practice.”

            The team will be competing at Garden City (Kan.) Community College this weekend.

-NW-

Back to News Page