The Missouri Valley College men’s and women’s rodeo teams recently completed their 2024-25 regular seasons, and both produced championship results in the Ozark Region.
The men’s rodeo team secured a ninth-straight Ozark Region title, finishing the season with 6,405.5 points. West Alabama finished second in the standings with 4,746 points. Individually, one Viking cowboy finished on top of the season-long event standings. Jason Wilson was the top bareback rider in the region, finishing the season with 1,214 points. Missouri Valley had the top three cowboys and eight of the top ten in bareback riding. Kooper Heimburg was second with 1,130 points and Bryce Eck was third with 917 points on the season.
In addition to the bareback riding results, Eck added a sixth place finish in saddle bronc riding, earning 537 points, which put him second in the region’s all-around standings with a total of 1,454 points. First place in the men’s overall totaled 1,805.5 points.
In saddle bronc riding, Treg Huver was second in the final standings, with 861 points, trailing first place with 995 points. Five of the top nine positions in the saddle bronc riding standings were Viking cowboys, including Walker McAbee in fourth with 710 points. The top individual in steer wrestling was Carson Ball, who was third with 520 points. Ball was also the top Viking in tie down roping at ninth in the standings with 261.5 points. Kashton Mathis was fifth in bull riding, accumulating 170 points.
The women’s team finished as the reserve champion in the Ozark Region with 2,136 points, trailing only West Alabama’s 2,194 points. The team was led by a pair of event winners. Kalyani Das finished first in the barrel racing standings with a total of 612 points on the season. Also earning an Ozark Region title was Kate Brisbane in goat tying with 945 points. The top individual in breakaway roping was Codie Vaugh, who placed seventh with 250 points. Vaughn also placed fifth in the women’s all-round standings, adding a tenth place finish in goat tying with 274 points, to earn 524 points in the all-around.
Both men’s and women’s rodeo programs will compete as teams at the upcoming College National Finals Rodeo, which runs June 15-21 in Casper, Wyoming. Position draws will take place June 8.