**For Immediate Release**
Hodson All-Around Cowboy at Doc Gardner
OPSU men’s team moves to second place in Central Plains Region
-released by OPSU Campus Communications 04-02-2006
by Laura Dahl

Guymon, Okla. - Oklahoma Panhandle State University’s Logan Hodson won All-Around Cowboy honors at the Doc Gardner Memorial Rodeo this past weekend. Hodson, a Canadian student from Telkwa, B.C., turned in great performances in the bareback and saddle bronc events. His performance led the OPSU men’s team to post an additional 500 points in the Central Plains Region standings, which moves the team from third to second place. First and second place teams in each region take a team to the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyo. in June as well as qualifying individuals.

Coming off a personal best 90 point score in the bareback riding at the professional rodeo in Nacogdoches, Texas, last week, Hodson placed second in the long round of the bareback riding, tied for first in the championship round, and placed first in the aggregate scoring at the Doc Gardner.

In the saddle bronc, Hodson tied for third in the average. In the same event, Jordan Furnish, from Guymon, placed third in the long and short rounds, and placed first the average of that event. Taos Muncy added team and individual points with a fifth/sixth split in the short go and a sixth place finish in the average. Trell Etbauer, Seth Schafer, and Weston Ireland also competed in the short go of that event.

After the Thursday and Friday night performances of the bull riding, only two qualified rides had been posted. During the last long round performance on Saturday afternoon, Taos Muncy made the short go with a 77 point ride and Winston Kusler made the cut with a 64 point ride. During the championship round, only two cowboys covered their bulls. Bandy Murphy of Southwestern Oklahoma State University won the short go with a 77 point ride and placed first in the average, and Corey Atwell of Coffeyville Community College in Kansas made a 76 point ride, placing him second in the short round and second in the average. Muncy ended up fifth in the average.

With Eli Eastman competing with a broken ankle, the heeler and his teammate, Levi Swafford, turned in a sixth place win in the short round and the average of the team roping. Another OPSU duo, Cody Dees and John Wright also made the championship round of that event. Coleman Proctor of Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College and Jake Long of Northwestern Oklahoma State University out-roped all competitors by taking first in the long and championship rounds, which secured them a first place in the aggregate.

Rounding out the men’s events, Buster Holland competed in the short round of the steer wrestling, an event won by Travis Camac of Fort Hays State. Tyrel Turner made the championship round of the calf roping, with A.J. Ormand of Northwestern taking first place in both rounds and the average.

Chancy Etbauer tied for first with Amy Younger of Bacone College, both with a 2.5 second run in the long round of the breakaway roping. Etbauer placed sixth in the average while Younger, with a tie for second in the short go, won in the aggregate scoring.

Kaylee Holt, an Oklahoma State University student from Gruver, Texas, placed first in the championship round of the barrel racing and took first in the aggregate scoring. In the goat tying, Sarah Ellingson of Southwestern Oklahoma State University placed first in the long and short rounds of the goat tying with times of 9.6 seconds in both.

Southeastern Oklahoma State University won the men’s team competition, and Southwestern Oklahoma State University won the women’s team competition. Sarah Ellingson of Southwestern was the all-around cowgirl.

Thanks to Aaron Loewe and Evan Schmidt for their bullfighting skills, used to protect the bull riders from the stock. Schmidt broke his leg in the line of duty on Friday night, and the latest report indicates he will fully recover. Wacey Munsell stepped up to help Loewe during the Saturday performances.

OPSU would like to thank the major sponsors, including CRI Feeders, L&J Auto Parts, Absolute Endeavors, 54 Gas ‘n Go, Texhoma Livestock Auction, Cactus and Frontier Feeders, Samson Ropes and First National Bank of Texhoma, Goodwell, and Guymon, Murphy Farms and Duke Energy. Thanks to PTCI and Tri-County Electric for providing saddles for the men’s and women’s all-around titles as well as chute sponsors including Farmers Elevator, Crazy House, and Hitch Enterprises. The Bank of the Panhandle and the City of Guymon Convention and Tourism Board sponsored the men’s and women’s teams, respectively.

OPSU Coach Craig Latham said, “I’m proud of the kids for doing so well at their own rodeo, especially after they’ve worked hard for weeks to put it together. I’d like to thank all of the sponsors who support us as well as the fans who come out to cheer us. We couldn’t be as successful without them.”

Coach Craig Latham presents Jordan Furnish with a buckle for winning the saddle bronc riding. -Trey Scales photo

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