Wildcats return to action with fine showing at EMCC rodeo

POPLARVILLE – Pearl River Community College rode back into rodeo competition in a big way recently, with several riders scoring high numbers in the first event of the spring season.

Competing in the East Mississippi event at Meridian Feb. 22-24, the Wildcat men finished second in the team competition, with 680 points, trailing Tennessee-Martin by just 60 points.

Sophomore Ryder Ladner (Kiln) was the top All-Around Cowboy after totaling 320 of the Wildcats’ points.

Ladner was second in tie-down roping with a score of 17.4, and he and freshman Chase Graves (Poplarville) finished first in team roping with a score of 11.5. That was nearly three seconds better than the second-place team.

Freshman Scott Davis (Lucedale) bolstered his standing in the saddle bronc riding event, winning with a total score of 158.

On the women’s side, sophomore Chelsey Johnson (Poplarville) was sixth in goat tying with 40 points.

The Wildcats sit fourth in the men’s team standings with 1,970 points in the Ozark Region of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, while the women are sixth with 305 points.

The top two men’s and women’s teams and top three individual finishers in each event from each region advance to the College National Finals Rodeo, held in June at Casper, Wyo.

Individually, Ladner is third in the Men’s All-Around with 725 points, trailing the second-place rider by just 50 points. He is fifth in the tie-down roping standings with 280 points.

Davis is also in contention in saddle bronc riding, currently in the fourth position with 340 points. Graves is fourth in steer wrestling with 275 points, and he and Ladner are also fourth in the team roping standings, each with 310 points.

PRCC returns to competition April 5-7 at Monticello, Ark. Other events remaining on the spring schedule are April 12-14 at Martin, Tenn.; and April 19-21 at Senatobia ( hosted by Northwest Mississippi CC).