MPCC Steer Wrestler Leads the Region

(Story by Heather Johnson – “Area Public Information Specialist ” for MPCC)

A Mid-Plains Community College cowboy is leading the region in steer wrestling following a strong performance in Iowa over the weekend.

The MPCC Rodeo Team competed at the Iowa State University Cyclone Stampede in Ames, Iowa Friday and Saturday.

Team member JT Bradley, of Brewster, won the steer wrestling – propelling him to the top of the leaderboards in the Great Plains Regional standings. He wrestled his steer in 3.7 seconds. That jumped him up five spots from sixth place, where he was sitting after the first round, to win the average.

“He did a great job, which is just kind of what we expect out of JT,” said Garrett Nokes, MPCC Rodeo Team timed event coach. “He’s got the talent to do that every week. I was expecting big things out of him, and I’m real pleased with where he’s at halfway through the year.”

Bradley also ended up third in the tie-down roping. Clay Bauer, of Arcadia, was second in the tie-down roping and sixth in the team roping alongside JD Draper, of Oakley, Kan. Draper also placed fourth in the steer wrestling.

Sheyenne Hammond, of Valentine, placed second in the breakaway roping, which contributed to MPCC’s third place ranking in the women’s team standings. The men’s team also finished third.

“The team as a whole had a handful of kids do outstanding, and everyone else had a rough weekend,” Nokes said. “Draper and Bauer both made it back to the short round in two events, and they kept us in it. The men’s team ended with a third place finish, but could have won first very easily. Only three out of our six point-scoring guys made it back to the short go.”

All three women on the team qualified for the short round.

“I was really pleased with them,” Nokes said. “Mykelsi [Schnose, of Oelrichs, S.D.] slipped up a little bit in the short round in the barrels, and Danielle [Wray, of Ord] had a rare miss in the team roping. It happens to everyone. Danielle is still sitting third in the regional standings, and I expect her to end up in the top two in the region.”

Despite starting out slow this season, Hammond has had a phenomenal last two rodeos. She also competes in barrel racing and team roping for the college, but breakaway is her strongest event.

“She’s really been stepping up and putting a lot of time and effort into it, and it shows,” Nokes said. “She and Koby [Jacobson, of Haiku, Hawaii] probably could have made it to the short go, but they drew a hard dragging steer, and her horse could hardly pull him. All that aside, she’s got to feel really good about how things are going. It’s fun for me to be a part of.”

The fall rodeos will wrap up with the rescheduled Sisseton Wahpeton College Rodeo in Sisseton, S.D. Nov. 1-2.

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