Tyler Johnson
March 21, 2019 - Panola College Rodeo Team was in Bryan, Texas, for the Texas A&M Rodeo the 15th and 16th. The Men’s Team held on to the lead in the Southern Region, as well as finished 1st as a Men’s Team for the rodeo and the Women’s team placed 2nd for the weekend. Here are the results for athletes:
Tyler Johnson competed in the bareback riding event and kicked off the weekend with a bang scoring 79 points for the long round and placing 1st. Johnson was prepared and determined to be the best bareback rider at the Texas A&M Rodeo and finished the short round splitting 1st with a 76-point ride. He was on fire and with the show stopping performances Johnson put on, he won the bareback riding average. Johnson’s accomplishments earned the Panola College Men’s Team points helping to maintain their first place lead.
In the tie down roping event, Macon Murphy, started the weekend out with a 10.8 second run splitting 4th place in the round. Murphy was ready to make a run to remember in the short round and had the quickest time of 9.3 seconds finishing the round in 1st place. Murphy left Bryan, Texas winning 2nd in the average for the tie down roping event.
Panola College Women’s Rodeo Team member, Campbell Grover, came to the rodeo with a game plan to make fast and clean runs in the barrel racing event. She put up a challenge for the barrel racing contestants in the first round and placed 4th with a time of 15.6 seconds. Ten fierce contestants came back to the short round, Grover showed the competition just why she deserved to be there with a time of 15.5 seconds and a 2nd place finish. Campbell Grover is your second place barrel racing average winner for the Texas A&M Rodeo.
All Around Cowboy, Daylon Swearingen, from Piffard, New York competed in bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, and bull riding. Swearingen continuous to show why he deserves a spot to the College National Finals Rodeo. After making two outstanding saddle bronc rides, Swearingen placed 3rd in the average. He didn't stop there, he spurred a bucker to earn the 4th place spot in the average for the bareback riding event. With his hard work and determination, his placings earned the Panola Men’s Team points to keep the lead in the overall standings.
Abbie Muckelroy, a barrel racer competing on the Panola College Women’s Rodeo Team set the arena on fire and after placing in both the first round and the short go, Muckelroy ended the Texas A&M rodeo with a 4th place finish in the barrel racing average. With Muckelroy’s perseverance the Panola College Women’s Team was able to move up in the rankings for the overall team standings at the Texas A&M rodeo.
Jackson Williams weighing in at 145 pounds, 5 foot 9 inches tall, came to take down Goliath in the steer wrestling event, in the first round Williams threw his steer stopping the clock at 4.8 seconds splitting 4th. In the short round, Williams was anxious to show his talent in the arena once again with a time of 8.6 seconds and another 4th place finish. It was no surprise with the amount of hours and hard work to prove it that Williams would place in the average, heading back to Carthage, Texas as the 4th place steer wrestling average winner.
Campbell Grover
A name all remember and all are familiar with, Saddle Bronc rider from Alto Texas, Logan Cook showed up and showed out at the Texas A&M Rodeo where he put together a spur ride that would place him 5th in the average. Cook’s accomplishments not only helped him in the overall standings for the all around, and event leaderboard, but helped to place the Panola College Men’s Team first at the Texas A&M Rodeo and maintain the overall lead as a team.
Bareback Rider, Travis Chapman, matched up with a bucking horse of Champion Rodeo Company’s and their dance in the arena was nothing short of outstanding landing Chapman a 4th place finish. Finishing the weekend out, Chapman placed 6th in the bareback riding average.
In the event of Breakaway Roping, girls compete to rope their calf in the fastest time possible, Maison Davis of Kilgore, Texas grasps this concept strongly. Davis, set the bar high with a fiery run of 2.2 seconds winning 2nd in the 1st round. Accomplishing this goal, Davis helped to earn the Panola College Women’s Rodeo Team points to earn their 2nd place finish at the Texas A&M Rodeo.
After 8 rodeos that the Panola College Rodeo Team has competed in this far, here is where the team members stand overall: Leading the all-around standings is the cowboy from Alto, Texas, Logan Cook, he competes in the saddle bronc riding, team roping, and tie down roping events. In the bareback riding event, the cowboy from Athens, Texas, Tyler Johnson, holds the lead with 853 points. Clayton Lowry, is a competitor in the Team Roping event and is placing second with 435 points. Bull Rider, Ross Freeman, has 354 points and is 2nd overall. Sitting third in the event leaders for the tie down roping, Logan Cook, with 379.50 points.
Panola College Rodeo Team is the number 1 men’s team in the Southern Region, with plans to take a full team to the CNFR. “Our goal is to take a team to the College National Finals and be the number 1 team in the nation. I expect this team to achieve this goal, and look forward to the next 2 rodeos says Coach Collins.”
