Ranchers rope in title

By Ken Steinken, Journal Sports Writer | Monday, June 30, 2003

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RAPID CITY -- Harding County continued its domination of high school rodeo in South Dakota with its third straight team title Sunday at Central States Fairgrounds.

Led by all-around cowgirl Jessica Painter, the Ranchers topped second-place Sturgis 506.5 points to 208.5 points. Lee Olsen of Dupree captured boys all-around honors.

Ten Harding County athletes qualified in eight events for the 55th Annual National Finals Rodeo in Farmington, N.M., on July 17-27.

Painter, who earned the all-around title for the second straight year, will compete in barrel racing, pole bending and cutting in New Mexico.

Sturgis qualified in five events with Nikki Steffes a double qualifier in barrel racing and goat tying. Sturgis sophomore Michael McPherson and junior Dustin Johnson took two of the four available national slots in calf roping.

Harding County nearly scored a grand slam in steer wrestling with three bulldoggers advancing to nationals. Sophomore P.J. Painter topped the national qualifiers with sophomore teammate Forest Sainsbury claiming the third spot and senior Colt Floyd nabbing the fourth and final qualifying place. Sturgis junior Brett Wilcox prevented Harding County from sweeping the event.

In the average competition, which takes the combined points earned at regional and state rodeo finals, Harding County nabbed four of the top five places. Brad Johnson edged out Floyd to take fourth.

Floyd also will compete at the finals in bull riding as he placed first in the average results and the national qualifiers. Another Harding County sophomore, Shawn Harris, will join Floyd riding bulls for the Ranchers at nationals in New Mexico.

Lexi Burghduff of Harding County, quit basketball this year to focus on rodeo. Her concentration earned her a spot on South Dakota's national team for the third year

in a row. Burghduff will compete in goat tying. She topped the field in Sunday's short go.

"It felt smooth," Burghduff said. "I was a little nervous. I knew I had to put things together to make it nationals in the short go and win the saddle for the third year in a row.

"That was just the plan to be smooth and do what I know I could do."

Burghduff is glad to compete for Harding County.

"We got a strong team," Burghduff said. "We got a good community and they support us."

Katie Heavlin of Douglas also gained national spots in goat tying.

Four ropers round out the Harding County national team represtatives. Ryan Routier and Marvin Heesacker pair up in team roping. Josi Price and Kali Olson made the grade in breakaway roping.

All-around cowboy Lee Olsen of Dupree made the cut for nationals in team roping and cutting. Olson, who just started cutting last year competed in five events.

"Ever since I been in diapers I been riding," said Olsen, who also does steer wrestling, saddle bronc and calf roping. "I just started cutting last year. I work on the other events a lot more."

Olsen heads while Billy Myers of St. Onge heels in team roping.

"We practice as much as we can, but not as much as we should," Olsen said. "We rope a lot apart, but it's kind of hard to get together."

One of the wildest moments of the afternoon came when O.J. Heidler of Faith got on board his saddle bronc. The horse bucked straight up and then fell over, narrowly missing rolling over Heidler's leg.

"The horse was just blowing," Heidler said. "He hung in the air a long time. He gave me a lot of time to reset my feet. It was beautiful. I wished he'd a stayed up.

"He started to come over. I was to the point to where I knew the judges would give me a reride on it, and I bailed and got out of it plum good. I lost both pedals so I could let go of my rein. The horse is fine."

The judges awarded Heidler, who was the second to last rider, a reride.

"That horse fit me pretty good," Heidler said of the reride. "He changed up at the fence there. I felt like I missed a couple licks. He was strong and the horse made up the points I missed."

Heidler scored a 75 or the reride, which was good enough for second best score of the day and a place on the nationals team.

"I'm just glad they had such a nice horse in the reride pen," Heidler said.

GIRLS CUTTING

Short go-1, Jessica Painter, Harding County, 146.5; 2, Whitney O'Rourke, Wall, 145; 3, (tie) Jennilee Thompson, Wessington Springs, and Kylie Husted, Stanley County, 144; 5, Kate Lindblom, Rapid City Central, 143.

Average-1, Jennilee Thompson, Wessington Springs, 435; 2, Tiekola Fortune, Philip, 434.5; 3, Kate Lindblom, Rapid City Central, 433; 4, Jessica Painter, Harding County, 432.5.

2003 National Team-1, Jennilee Thompson, Wessington Springs, 63.5; 2, Jessica Painter, Harding County, 57; 3, Tiekola Fortune, Philip, 56; 4, Whitney O'Rourke, Wall, 56.

BOYS CUTTING

Short go-1, Tyson Stewart, Home School 7, 146; 2, P.J. Painter, Harding County, 145; 3, Clint Doll, Harding County, and Lee Olsen, Dupree, 143-1/2; 5, T.J. Owen, Winner, 142.

Average-1, Tyson Stewart, Home School 7, 438; 2, Lee Olsen, Dupree, 429.5; 3, Deon Dorsey, Isabel, 423; 4, P.J. Painter, Harding County, 422.

2003 National Team-1, Tyson Stewart, Home School 7, 68; 2, Lee Olsen, Dupree, 59; 3, Andres Renteria, Yankton, 42.5; 4, Deon Dorsey, Isabel, 42.5.

BAREBACK RIDING

Short go-1, (tie) Tater Hins, Huron, and Weston Garrett, Belle Fourche, 74; 3, Ben Smith, New Underwood, 70; 4, (tie) Jake Smith, Sturgis, and Joe Wilson, Wall, 69.

Average-1, Weston Garrett, Belle Fourche, 218; 2, Julian Whitcher, Wall, 203; 3, Tater Hins, Huron, 199; 4, Ben Smith, New Underwood, 198.

2003 National Team-1, Weston Garrett, Belle Fourche, 69; 2, Tater Hins, Huron, 59; 3, Julian Whitcher, Wall, 56.5; 4, Ben Smith, New Underwood, 55.

BREAKAWAY ROPING

Short go-1, Jacque Murray, Isabel, 2.52; 2, Crystal Fisher, Viborg, 3.21; 3, Josi Price, Harding County, 3.40; 4, Sammy Steinke, Colome, 4.22; 5, Jennilee Thompson, Wessington Springs, 9.10.

Average-1, Crystal Fisher, Viborg, 9.22; 2, Josi Price, Harding County, 15.74; 3, Kali Olson, Harding County, 20.05; 4, Crystal Wortman, Highmore, 21.16.

2003 National Team-1, Josi Price, Harding County, 53; 2, Jacque Murray, Isabel, 52; 3, Crystal Fisher, Viborg, 51; 4, Kali Olson, Harding County, 44.

SADDLE BRONC RIDING

Short go-1, Levi Hapney, Home School 2, 78; 2, O.J. Heidler, Faith, 75; 3, (tie) Lee Olsen, Dupree, and Tate Longbrake, Dupree, 72; 5, Eric Addison, Midland, 71.

Average-1, O.J. Heidler, Faith, 218; 2, Eric Addison, Midland, 217; 3, Levi Hapney, Home School 2, 209; 4, Tate Longbrake, Dupree, 208.

2003 National Team-1, O.J. Heidler, Faith, 62.5; 2, Levi Hapney, Home School 2, 50; 3, Eric Addison, Midland, 48.5; 4, Tate Longbrake, Dupree, 47.

POLE BENDING

Short go-1, Morgan Hanson, Isabel, 20.296; 2, Jessica Painter, Harding County, 20.475; 3, Lacey Haensel, West Central, 20.499; 4, Sammie Rinehart, Highmore, 20.805; 5, Dezaray Varland, Faith, 20.999.

Average-1, Morgan Hanson, Pierre, 62.178; 2, Jessica Painter, Harding County, 62.324; 3, Dezaray Varland, Faith, 63.516; 4, Sammie Rinehart, Highmore, 63.567.

2003 National Team-1, Jessica Painter, Harding County, 66; 2, Morgan Hanson, Pierre, 55; 3, Dezaray Varland, Faith, 48; 4, Lacey Haensel, West Central 44.

BULL RIDING

Short go-1, (tie) Colt Floyd, Harding County, and Shawn Harris, Harding County, 74; 3, Shawn Coleman, Bon Homme, 71; 4, (tie) Casey Stirling, Highmore, and Jace Vrooman, Eagle Butte, 70.

Average-1, Colt Floyd, Harding County, 213; 2, Casey Stirling, Highmore, 211; 3, Shawn Coleman, Bon Homme, 201; 4, Jace Vrooman, Eagle Butte, 147.

2003 National Team-1, Colt Floyd, 49.5; 2, Shawn Coleman, 48; 3, Jace Vrooman, 42; 4, Shawn Harris, 38.5.

GOAT TYING

Short go-1, Lexy Burghduff, Harding County,7.46; 2, Lana Giannonatti, Harding County, 7.98; 3, Nikki Steffes, Sturgis, 8.14; 4, Lori Amick, Wessington Springs, 8.25; 5, Amy Jobgen, Wall, 8.62.

Average-1, Lexy Burghduff, Harding County, 24.96; 2, Lori Amick, Wessington Springs, 26.17; 3, Nikki Steffes, Sturgis, 27.72; 4, Courtney Claussen, Douglas, 28.17.

2003 National Team-1, Nikki Steffes, Sturgis, 56; 2, Lexy Burghduff, Harding County, 47; 3, Lori Amick, Wessington Springs, 46; 4, Katie Heavlin, Douglas, 43.5.

CALF ROPING

Short go-1, Rusty Parmely, Wessington, 8.84; 2, Chase Lingemann, Parkston, 9.05; 3, Tyler Thiel, Belle Fourche, 9.20; 4, Levi Hapney, Home School 2, 9.98; 5, Deon Dorsey, Isabel, 11.09.

Average-1, Rusty Parmely, Wessington, 34.76; 2, J.D. Johnson, Dupree, 35.97; 3, Michael McPherson, Sturgis, 36.09; 4, Dustin Johnson, Sturgis, 36.45.

2003 National Team-1, Rusty Parmely, Wessington, 51; 2, Michael McPherson, Sturgis, 48; 3, Dustin Johnson, Sturgis, 44.5; 4, Deon Dorsey, Isabel, 44.

BARREL RACING

Short go-1, Melissa Porch, Kadoka, 17.077; 2, Kayce McCutcheon, Elkton, 17.223; 3, MacKenzie trask, Wall, 17.312; 4, Nikki Steffes, Sturgis, 17.325; 5, Jessica Painter, Harding County, 17.332.

Average-1, Cami Bauer, Mitchell, 51.496; 2, Kayce McCutcheon, Elkton, 52.186; 3, Nikki Steffes, Sturgis, 52.289; 4, Dezaray Varland, Faith, 52.490.

2003 National Team-1, Cami Bauer, Mitchell, 57; 2, Nikki Steffes, Sturgis, 53; 3, Dezaray Varland, Faith, 48; 4, Jessica Painter, Harding County, 45.5.

STEER WRESTLING

Short go-1, Forest Sainsbury, Harding County, 4.95; 2, P.J. Painter, Harding County, 5.65; 3, Kade Lingemann, Parkston, 6.09; 4, Brett Wilcox, Sturgis, 7.15; 5, Ace Berry, Custer, 8.15.

Average-1, Forest Sainsbury, Harding County, 22.19; 2, Brett Wilcox, Sturgis, 22.31; 3, P.J. Painter, Harding County, 23.45; 4, Brad Johnson, Harding County, 29.26.

2003 National Team-1, P.J. Painter, Harding County, 49; 2, Brett Wilcox, Sturgis, 48; 3, Forest Sainsbury, Harding County, 43; 4, Colt Floyd, Harding County, 42.

TEAM ROPING

Short go-1, Ryan Routier and Marvin Heesacker, Harding County, 6.09; 2, Tate Thompson and Ty Thompson, Kadoka, 6.93; 3, Rex Treeby, Britton-Hecla, and Dustin Schaefer, Wilmot, 8.90; 4, Tee Tetrault and Cooper Waln, Bennett County, 11.48; 5, Lee Olsen, Dupree, and Billy Myers, Spearfish, 13.07.

Average-1, Rex Treeby, Britton-Hecla, and Dustin Schaefer, Wilmot, 24.98; 2, Tate Thompson-Ty Thompson, Kadoka, 31.59; 3, Lee Olsen, Dupree, and Billy Myers, Spearfish, 34.28; 4, Kiel Cook and Sam Risse, Bennett County, 36.22.

2003 National Team-1, Treeby-Schaefer 46; 2, Tee Tetrault and Cooper Waln, Bennett County, 36; 3, Ryan Routier and Marvin Heesacker, Harding County, 35; 4, Lee Olsen, Dupree, and Billy Myers, Spearfish, 32.

ALL-AROUND

Cowgirl-Jessica Painter, Harding County, 97.5.

Cowboy-Lee Olsen, Dupree, 80.

Rookie cowgirl-Whitney O'Rourke, Wall, 53.

Rookie cowboy-Ty Thompson, Kadoka, 42.

Reserve cowgirl-Jennilee Thompson, Wessington Springs, 73.

Reserve cowboy-Levi Hapney Home School 2.

2003 TEAM TROPHY

Harding County 506-1/2.