ISU Bengal

Issue date: 4/4/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: PHOTO SERVICES

Dirt, sweat, and dedication! Those are a few words that describe the ISU rodeo team. The team has spent the last seven months practicing and competing for a chance to be contenders at the national level. This weekend, the rodeo team drove to Heber, Utah to battle at the Rocky Mountain Regionals in the last rodeo of the season.



The season consists of ten rodeos throughout the year. After the rodeos, the scores of each of the participants are added together to determine the national qualifiers. Contributing to the ISU team were some great individual performances.



The women's team placed fourth overall this season. The advisor of the team Brian Hetrick stated, "Though none of the girls are going to nationals, there were two that were right on the bubble. Katie Thompson and her sister Stacey Shiner are both hard workers."



The men's team finished third overall to conclude their season. Aaron Skinner took first place in regionals, winning the bull dogging competition. Skinner also won team roping this last weekend, with partner Clayton Mecham, and individually placed third overall. Clint Arve consistently roped well over the last seven months and earned second place in regionals in the calf roping competition. Morgan Wilde competed as a bare back rider and also placed second.



The rodeo team practices in an indoor area called Wood's Arena. They travel to Blackfoot two days a week and practice for about five hours at a time. There are about 14 participants on the ISU rodeo team who spend a lot of time and effort for the love of the sport.



The national competition is June 10-17, but that doesn't mean that there is time to slack off. Hetrick says, "They will be practicing hard until then… Rodeo is kind of a year round event. They practice hard to get ready."

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