Reiss wins steer wrestling in North Dakota
A trip back home resulted in a championship buckle for a member of the Mid-Plains Community College Rodeo Team.
Riley Reiss, of Manning, N.D., won the steer wrestling at the North Dakota State University Bison Stampede Rodeo in Fargo, N.D. Saturday, giving him a much-needed boost on the season.
“Riley did a phenomenal job,” said Garrett Nokes, MPCC Rodeo Team timed event coach. “He had to skip one rodeo to go to finals in North Dakota, so was a little behind. He handled Fargo’s adverse conditions well over the weekend. The arena is small, and the cattle don’t like to run because of that, but Riley did a good job of getting two thrown and winning both rounds. That will jump him up to top five in the steer wrestling, which is right where we need to be going into the spring.”
Also competing for Mid-Plains, Koby Jacobson, of Hershey, and Marshall Still, of Oconto, took second in the team roping, while Danielle Wray, of Ord, came in third.
“Koby just keeps showing how he is an all-around athlete,” said Nokes. “Basically, he’s a bull rider, but he scored some points in the steer wrestling for us and lot in the team roping. Team roping isn’t the primary event for either him or Marshall, but they are both strong competitors. They hold their heads in there, do the best they can and it pays off.”
Wray’s third place finish secured her spot as the top header in the region.
“It’s been fun to see her succeed again as a sophomore,” Nokes said. “I think she’s got a real good shot at winning the region again at the end of the year. If nothing else, she will end up in the top three and go to nationals.”
In the tie down roping, Trenton Solida, of Glade, Kan., was second, Sterling Lee, of Rhame, N.D., was fourth and Wynn Schaack, of Wall, S.D., was sixth. MPCC’s Teran Sharman, of Palmer, placed fourth in the bull riding.
Mid-Plains ended up second overall in the men’s team standings and fourth in the women’s team standings.
“We were only beat out by Iowa Central,” said Nokes. “We will have to really have our game on to surpass them in the spring for the regional championship, but we’ve got a big lead over the third-place team now. I’m confident we will take a team to nationals and that it will be the most competitive team we’ve ever had. I’m really pumped for that.”
The Bison Stampede was the last rodeo of the fall for the Great Plains Region. Competition will resume in the spring.
