Athletic Report
May 28, 2002

SULTEMEIER AND GARCIA LEAD ZIAS TO SIXTH PLACE FINISH AT CONFERENCE FINALS RODEO
Hobbs, NM – Ashley Sultemeier (Fr., Melrose, NM/ Melrose H.S.) andJohnna Garcia (So., Tucumcarri, NM/Clayton H.S.) helped the Eastern New Mexico UniversityZias take sixth place overall at the Conference Finals Rodeo, May 24-26, at Hobbs, NM. Sultemeier placed fifth in goat tying and Garcia earned a seventh place finish in barrel racing Sultemeier completed the first and second go round in goat tying with an overall time of 15.3 seconds for her two runs in the first round (8.1-7.2).

Kelly Jo Jump also qualified to participate in goat tying. She placed a time of 7.6, the second best time after the first go, which helped give the Zias team points. In the Second go she ran 12.4 with a total time of 20.0 seconds.The top 13 combined times are then qualified to compete in the final go round. Jo Jump failed to make the final go. Sultemeier made the final go round and placed a time of 9.4 seconds, to give her an overall time of 24.7. She placed fifth after the final go.

Goat tying was won by Elisha Watt of West Texas with a combined time of 23.6 overall, (7.8-8.6-7.2). Sultemeier qualified for the National Finals College Rodeo, which will be held in Casper, Wyoming, June 10-15. Garcia took seventh place in barrel racing. Garcia and teammate Kristin Gendron (So., Templeton, CA,/ Templeton H.S.) made the finals.

After the first and second go round, Garcia ran times of (14.78-14.74) and Gendron’s times were (15.16-14.57). They both qualified for the final go round. Garcia ran a 14.84 which put her overall time at 44.36 and was good enough for seventh place. Gendron’s final run was 14.78, and that totaled her overall time to 44.51. Both cowgirls will join teammate Sultemeier at the College National Finals Rodeo in barrel racing.

The event was won by Western Texas College’s Kassie Mowry with an over all time of 43.34. (14.46-14.39-14.48) James Gililland (Fr., Tularosa, NM/Tularosa H.S.) of ENMU and teammate Ky Atwood (Sr.,Roswell, NM/Odessa College) competed in team roping. They failed to make the final go, but they have already clinched a spot at the CNFR based on the points they have accumulated throughout the season. Edward Hale of Howard College and Kyle Logdsdon of Odessa College took first with times of (7.4-7.8-6-8) taking first place overall.

Kyle Dutton (Sr., Los Lunas, NM/La Mesa H.S.) competed in calf roping. He posted times in the first and second go rounds of 18.7(10.2-8.5). In the Short go around Dutton failed to receive a time. Dutton qualified for the CNFR and will join Atwood and Gililland. Calf roping was won by Monty Lewis of West Texas A&M, who posted combined times of 25.4 (8.9-8.6-7.9) to win. Vernon claimed first place for the men with 748.33 points.

Second place honors went to Tarleton State with 723.33 points. Western Texas College finished third with 615 points and was followed by Odessa College with 582.5 points. Hill College took fifth place with 570 points, Texas Tech University claimed sixth with 460 points, closely followed by McNeese State University with 450 points. ENMU scored 70 points and tied for 18th place with DineCommunity College.

In the individual men’s events, Robey Condra of Hill College took first in bull riding with 227 points (76.5-65.5-85.5). Tyson Thompson of Western Texas College took first in bareback riding with 212 pionts (70.5-67.5-64.0), while Neal Daniel of Texas Tech University won saddle bronc riding (70.5-75.0-79.0--224.5), and Gabriel Ledoux of McNeese State University took first place in steer wrestling with12.8 seconds (3.7-4.9-4.2).

Tarleton State was victorious in winning the women’s team title with 475 points. Sam Houston University scored 425 team points, West Texas A&M claimed third with 380 points. McNeese State finished fourth with 355 points. Hill College had 335 points to take fifth place, while the Zias claimed sixth with 285 points.

In addition to Mowry’s victory in barrel racing,and Watt’s victory in barell racing, the other winner in the women’s events was Tibba Smith of Tarleton State who won break-away roping with a combined time of 9.4 (3.0-2.7-3.7). The All-Around Cowboy for the weekend was Chris Irwin who added 305 points for Tarleton State.

The All-Around Cowgirl was Tibba Smith, also from Tarleton State, who scored 430 point. The College National Finals Rodeo will be the last event for the Greyhounds and Zias this season. ENMU’s qualifiers for the National Finals Rodeo are Atwood and Gililland in team roping, Dutton in calf roping, Gendron and Garcia in barrell racing, and Sultemeier in goat tying.