Northern rodeo coming home

After a solid showing to start the season, the Montana State University-Northern rodeo teams continued their season with a rodeo at Dawson Community College this past weekend. In Glendive, the MSU-N men's team finished fourth while the MSU-N women's team took third.

"I was pleasantly surprised by the men's team," MSU-N head coach Doug Kallenberger. "As far as the women's team, they did good."

The MSU-N women's team came in third behind rodeo winner Montana State University and second-place University of Montana Western. After a solid showing in her first two rodeos of the season, Brittany Cox had another strong outing. She took first in the short round and was first in average in barrel racing. She also took sixth in the long go. Mikenna Schauer also had a strong weekend by placing third in long go, eighth in average in breakaway roping and tenth in short round.

The MSU-N men's team took fourth in their rodeo. MSU took first in that rodeo as well with UMW coming in second and Miles Community College taking third. Justin Three Irons and Lincoln Yarama had a strong weekend for the Lights as they placed eight in the long go, third in the short round and fourth in average in team roping.

Chance Story also performed well for MSU-N as he took first in the short round, seventh in the long go and second in average in steer wrestling. He also placed fifth in team roping in the long go with his partner from Northwest Community College.

The MSU-N rodeo teams will try to finish high again this weekend when they host the rodeo here in Havre. At this rodeo, they will compete against MSU, UMW, University of Montana, University of Providence, Dawson Community College, Miles Community College and Northwest Community College. Out of all the teams they will face, Kallenberger expects the Bobcats to be their toughest competition.

"They're just a powerhouse in the world of rodeo," Kallenberger said about MSU.

To compete this weekend, MSU-N hopes that riders such as Cox and Schauer will continue their strong seasons. The Skylights also have Callie Otoupalik and Jill Marcenko who performed well at the Northwest Community College rodeo earlier this month. The MSU-N men's team will rely on Three Irons, Yarama and Story to lead them to success this weekend.

This rodeo will be the only time this season MSU-N will compete in Havre in front of their fans. With only one chance to impress their fans, Kallenberger believes his riders might put even more pressure on themselves to succeed.

"We only got one hometown college rodeo so I think some of these kids put more pressure on it, and I always just tell them, just make it another rodeo," Kallenberger said. "There's a little bit of home court advantage, but, at the end of the day, it's just another rodeo."

The rodeo will start on Friday night at 7 p.m. at the Bigger Better Barn at the Great Northern Fairgrounds. The slacks will begin Saturday at 9 a.m. and the top ten short round will begin on Saturday at 7 p.m.