Rodeo Team Looks Forward to Competition

Sports Editor

   The University of Arkansas at Monticello Rodeo Team will compete in a rodeo at the University of West Alabama Oct. 9-11.

   The team has 12 members that will compete in the UWA rodeo.

   Stephanie Zakrzewski of Vilonia has rodeoed since eight years of age. She says she enjoys the friendly competition and atmosphere of rodeo.

   “Rodeo is a family-oriented sport. We don’t have rivals that we can’t get along with. We are all good friends that help each other out, no matter what the situation,” she said.

   The rodeo events pit contestants against one another for faster times or higher scores, but Zakrzewski said the competition is about continually trying to hone her skills and improve her times.

   “We don’t look at it as competing against each other, but competing against the clock,” she said.

   Zakrzewski currently majors in exercise science as a junior at UAM.

   Bud Bogan, Bart Brunson, Roy Smith and Lane Hewett will compete in the calf-roping events. Bogan and Casey Greer will compete in the steer wrestling event. Cody Mounts will participate in bareback and bull riding.

   In the team roping events, Brunson, Greer, Jared McMillan, Hewett, Lana Chastain, Kristen Hancock and Zakrzewski will compete. Liz Casanova will run in barrel racing.

   Chastain, Hancock, Zakrzewski and Sarah Weber will compete in the breakaway and goat tying events.

   Chastain, a junior agriculture business major, began rodeoing at five years of age.

   “I enjoy rodeo because it’s a challenge and is something that I have to work at to get better. After practicing all week and then doing good at the rodeo, it makes it all worth it,” Chastain said.

   “The hardest thing about rodeo would be consistency. It’s hard to continually win money at every rodeo. There are so many factors that go into a winning run and it is hard at times to get everything to go just right every time,” she said.

   The UWA rodeo will be the third rodeo of the year for the team. On Sept. 11-13 the team competed at Missouri Valley College, followed on Sept. 25-27 at Southern Arkansas University. The men’s team currently ranks fourth overall with 655 points and the women’s team ranks sixth with 140 points in the Ozark Region of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association.

   For more detailed information on the rodeo team standings, visit collegerodeo.com. 

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