By Julie Johansen
Salina and Castle Dale were the sites of two preference rodeos over the weekend. The preference rodeos mean that student participants had to send in a preference for either Friday night, Saturday morning slack or Saturday evening performances. This was required by the state association as neither site had three available arenas.
Several team members placed in the top ten in their events. In Salina, Jessie McElprang was second in breakaway. Jessica Fox, along with partner Hailey Humphrey, captured fifth in team roping, Cole Magnuson and partner Wyatt Rindlishbacher were seventh. In tie down roping, Will Magnuson took third with a time of 12.5 seconds.
At the Castle Dale arena, Jessica McElprang and McKray Duncan placed eighth in team roping.
Shooting sports were also hosted at both sites, with high school and junior high contestants competing at the same time. Placing in the light rifle was Carbon’s Kagen Rhodes, second, and Emery’s James Johansen, 10th. Trap shooting found Kagen Rhodes in fifth and Ruger Payne, Emery, tied for ninth in Castle Dale.
The junior high winners at this competition were Emery’s Ryter Ekker, second, and Kashley Rhodes, sixth.
In Salina, Kagen Rhodes, placed fourth in trap shooting and third in the rifle shoot. In the junior high division, Ryter Ekker took second and Kashley Rhodes took sixth in the light rifle shoot.
Team members will head for Cedar City on Sept. 21 and 22 and then have a break until November.