EMCC teams finish third in men’s and fourth in women’s

LIVINGSTON, Ala. — Highlighted by a pair of first-place individual finishes, the East Mississippi Community College rodeo teams placed third in men’s competition and fourth on the women’s side during this past weekend’s UWA Rodeo Showdown hosted by the University of West Alabama. The three-day NIRA Ozark Region event concluded Saturday evening at UWA’s Hines-Spree Rodeo Complex.

For the EMCC men, newcomer Clay Livengood (Cleveland, NC) led the way by claiming top honors in tie-down roping with times of 9.5 and 10.3 seconds to earn 145 team points.

Local product Matt Watt (Scooba) tied for fifth place and earned 60 points in tie-down roping, while also pairing with teammate Tanner Brown (Florence) to claim fourth-place honors and 140 total points in team roping. The tandem posted a winning time of 6.1 seconds during first-round action.

Brothers Cade and Cooper Cowan (Lamar) also advanced to Saturday’s short-go round in team roping for the Lions but did not register a time.

The Lions’ other 110 points were collected by Myles Neighbors (Benton, AR) for his second-place showing in the steer wrestling event. His performance featured a winning effort of 4.3 seconds during first-round competition.

Women’s scoring for EMCC consisted of Jaylie Matthews’ (Wynne, AR) second straight barrel racing win in as many events to begin the 2021-22 Ozark Region schedule. With winning times of 15.47 and 15.56 seconds at UWA, Matthews garnered the maximum 180 points to collect her ninth Ozark Region regular-season barrel racing victory. The reigning CNFR reserve champion barrel racer and 2019-20 Ozark Region champion previously secured four event titles in her specialty event last year and three first-place finishes during the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 rodeo season.

In other EMCC women’s action this past weekend, Mikayla Joh Almond (Olin, NC) advanced to Saturday’s short-go round in breakaway roping but did not score.

Missouri Valley College dominated the men’s competition at UWA with 945 team points. UT Martin earned team runner-up honors by finishing 35 points ahead of the EMCC men.

Host West Alabama secured the women’s team title with 405 points to place ahead of runner-up Missouri Valley (295 pts) and Pearl River Community College (275 pts).

Coach Morgan Goodrich’s EMCC rodeo teams will take a week away from competition before resuming action Oct. 14-16 at the Three Rivers College event in Sikeston, Mo.