WCJC rodeo team aims for nationals

The Wharton County Junior College men and women's rodeo teams will have a home arena advantage in the final Southern Region competition May 2-3 in Johnson Arena at the Crescent Fairgrounds.

It's held in conjunction with the Wharton County Youth Fair.

Slack competition cranks up at noon May 2, but the actual competition starts at 7:30 p.m. each night.

"It's the final rodeo of the year and it all determines who will go to the National Finals Rodeo later in the year," WCJC coach Sean Amestoy said.

Over 250 cowboys and cowgirls from WCJC, Southwest Texas Junior College, Northeast Texas Community College, McNeese State University, Stephen F. Austin University, Texas A&M, Sam Houston State University, Texas A&M Kingsville and Panola Junior College will compete in saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, steer wrestling, bull riding, tie down roping, team roping, header and healer, break away roping, barrel racing and goat tying.

There will also be a crawfish boil beginning at 6 p.m. Saturday and advance tickets are now on sale

WCJC competed in the Hill College Rodeo in Hillsboro this past weekend (April 25-26).

Three weeks ago WCJC teams participated in the Panola Southern Region competition on April 4-5.

The women's team finished third with 198 1/2 points. Texas A&M took the title with 563 1/2 points and Hill College was second with 428 points.

WCJC is third in the region with 1,207 1/2 points. A&M is on top with 2,699 points and Sam Houston State University is second with 2,179 points.

The men's team finished sixth at Panola with 138 points.

Northeast Community College took first with 613 1/2 points. Panola was second with 466 points, SMSU was third with 304 1/2 points, Hill was fourth with 214 points and McNeese State University was fifth with 139 points.

NETCC leads the region with 3,767 1/2 points. SHSU is second with 3,208 1/2 points, Panola is third with 3,144 1/2 points and WCJC is fourth with 2,729 1/2 points.

WCJC cowgirl Lauren Cox finished third in all-around with 176 points. Lainey Kyle of A&M took first with 321 points and Ashley Guest of Hill was second with 290 points.

Cox finished third in barrel racing with a 16.17 second effort. She finished fifth in goat tying with a 9.5 second attempt.

Cox leads the region with 718 points. Macie Haferkamp is seventh with 237 points.

WCJC's Miranda Coats tied for seventh in breakaway roping with a 4.1 second attempt.

For the men's team, Trey Broussard finished fourth in saddle bronc riding with a 69 score. He's third in the region with 589 points.

Joshua Byerly finished fifth in bareback riding with 69 points. He's ninth in the region with 129 points.

James Ventura finished sixth in bull riding with a 72 score.

Rudy Austin finished sixth as a team roping healer with an 8.9 second time.