April 27, 2017 - Panola’s barrel racer Abby Phillips, of Marshall, TX, and saddle bronc rider Logan Cook, of Alto, TX, have both qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo to be held June 11-17, 2017 in Casper, Wyoming.
This past weekend the Rodeo Team traveled to Wharton for the 10th and final Southern Region rodeo of the regular season on Friday and Saturday.
Abby Phillips set the bar high with a flawless run early in the day on Friday with a 14.27 seconds run in barrels. The cowgirl came into the last rodeo in 4th position overall and had no choice but to win a top spot in the rodeo to fulfill her goal of being one of the top three in the Southern Region to qualify for the CNFR. The rest of the barrel racers one by one were unable to catch her until the rodeos final performance Saturday night. Abby was passed by one other girl and ended up with a 2nd place finish. Goal #1 achieved, Abby Phillips and her horse Fame moved to 2nd place in the final standings and is moving on to the C.N.F.R. Coach Collins said “I have no way of knowing how it will turn out, but I do know what Abby will give to make it happen. I trust Abby’s work ethic, her discipline, and her character so much and I am very excited to have such an amazing young athlete be a part of our program. I can’t say enough about this young lady and I am very excited for the CNFR.”
Remember this name, Logan Cook, because you will be hearing it a lot in the rodeo world. Logan, who had already secured a spot in the top three in the Saddlebronc Riding before the rodeo even started, posted a 64 point ride Friday night, good enough for 2nd place at the rodeo, and good enough for 2nd place in the final standings. “Logan is a very talented cowboy with lots of grit and ability. He is capable of winning a national title not only in saddle bronc but also in calf roping one day and will also compete for the All-Around Title. Logan has been a huge asset to this program and I am very excited about his future and his time here with us,” says Coach Collins. “Logan will no doubt be in the running for a national title this June, but we will be looking at the future and seeing a lot of this young cowboy.”
Two cowboys showed out in the Bareback Riding, Travis Chapman of Woodville, TX, and Ethan Andrepont, of DeRidder, LA. and helped the Panola Men’s team to 4th place finish at the Wharton Rodeo. Travis made a great ride and was able to score a 74 point ride for a 2nd place finish, while Ethan scored 64 points for a 6th place finish. Travis is a freshman with great potential and will be back next year. Ethan will be leaving us this year to try his hand at some pro rodeos.
The year-end standings for Panola College were very tight to the end, both men and women ended up in the fourth position. The top 2 teams on both the men and women’s side each move on to the College National Finals. Coach Collins said “We are a very young hard working team; we are up against some very tough four year schools. I look for these individuals to really rise to the occasion next year and carry a team of both men and women to the College Finals Rodeo. That’s one of our goals every year as a team, and I believe we have the athletes here that can do that.”
