Top young rodeo talent in Sunday's Showcase spotlight

By Jim Holland, Journal Sports Writer | Friday, January 27, 2006

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RAPID CITY -- The Black Hills Stock Show and Rodeo's Wrangler 20x Extreme Showcase is just what it says: a gathering of the state's best high school rodeo talent.

The fourth-annual Showcase is set for Sunday, Jan 29 at 3 p.m. at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center's Don Barnett Arena.

The top three cowboys and cowgirls from each of three regions of the state in each event have been invited to compete in ten events. The rankings are based on points from the 2005 state high school rodeo finals.

Among the 96 contestants are several returning Showcase champions, including Buffalo's Jet Price (bareback) and Bailee Thompson (goat tying), and Kody Woodward of Dupree (steer wrestling).

"The atmosphere and the crowds, it's just unbelievable," said Woodward. "It's by far one of the best rodeos I've ever been to."

"The adrenaline rush just kills you. It was awesome," said Woodward of his winning experience last year. "After I threw that steer, I was so pumped."

Woodward, a junior at Dupree High School, finished second in the state, but struggled with his timing at Nationals, placing 17th in his event. That was after everything came together in last year's Showcase.

"I drew a good steer and good things happened. I've got a really good horse that been there quite a few times. He knows what going on and that's one of my biggest factors," he said. "I've had him since I was a freshman."

Woodward knows the competition will be just as keen.

"Brent Sutton, Kyle Stoddard and Klay Harris, they've all been to Nationals before. They know what's going on and it should be pretty good this year," he said.

Other returning placers include Dusti Varland of Faith (4th in barrels), Haley Treeby of Hecla, (2nd in breakaway roping), Jamie Claussen of Rapid City (4th in goat tying), Whitney O'Rourke (3rd in pole bending), Lane Stirling of Highmore (2nd in saddle bronc), Chase Spiel of Parade (4th in saddle bronc), Elliott Gourneau of Kennebec (3rd in team roping), Paul Tierney of Oral (4th in calf roping), Chance Smith of Union Center (3rd in bareback) and Lane Lindsey of Hot Springs (5th in bull riding).

State high school champions competing in the showcase include Varland, Price, Claussen, Tierney, Ty Thompson of Wanblee, Troy Crowser of Whitewood, and Del Pete Day of Lemmon.

Many of the contestants Sunday also participate in winter sports for their respective high schools.

Price, who set a top score of 68 in the 2005 state high school rodeo finals, wrestles at 145 pounds for coach Dave Wickstrom at Harding County.

Like most coaches, Wickstrom isn't real wild about the idea of one of his athletes competing in the high-risk rodeos during the middle of wrestling season. He also knows that rodeo is part of the lifestyle in rural South Dakota.

"We're not happy about it (Price competing), but that's what he'll probably go to school and get through college on," said Wickstrom. "He's a good kid and a hard worker.

"He's got a good chance to get to state (wrestling tournament) and probably place," Wickstrom said.

O'Rourke of Interior, placed third in pole-bending at the 2005 Showcase and set a top score of 146 in girls cutting at last year's State High School finals.

O'Rourke, a former home-school student, is now a senior at Wall and will be competing in goat tying Sunday, as well as barrel racing and breakaway roping at Saturday's Great Plains Indian Rodeo Association Shootout.

"I plan to do a little better this year, hopefully," she said. "I hope our Southwest Region does good and one of us wins the title this year."

O'Rourke said the civic center atmosphere adds to the pressure of competition. "It's kind of intimidating having so many people watching you. You're not used to having that many people focusing on just one spot in the arena," she said.

Not playing another varsity sport gives her a time advantage in preparation. O'Rourke spends a couple hours each night riding and caring for her horse and practice-tying.

At this level, she knows she'll need all the advantage she can get.

"The ones that are the top in the state are all going to be there. It's going to be a good goat-tying this year," she said.

Up for grabs for Showcase event winners are trophy buckles made and sponsored by Maynard Buckles. Contestants will also receive 20X shirts and a jean certificate from Wrangler, leather gloves from Dodge Rodeo and an event pin made by Landstrom's Black Hills Gold Jewelry.

Senior contestants can earn two $500 scholarships from the South Dakota State University Foundation to attend SDSU, along with four $500 scholarships, one from Wrangler, two from the Black Hills Stock Show Foundation and one from the South Dakota Buckaroos.

Extreme Showcase contestants

Barrel Racing-Charlotte Bernstein, Faith; Halley Treeby, Hecla; Jessie Hapny, Quinn; Jillian Gropper, Belle Fourche; Jozelle Fordyce, Faith; Kaylee Gallino, Wasta ; Mackenzie Trask, Wasta; Sasha Yackley, Onida; Whitney Olsen, Flandreau.

Bareback-Austin Janis, Lower Brule; Chance Smith, Union Center; Jake Sunderman, Baltic; Jet Price, Buffalo; Lonny Lesmeister, Parade; Marcus Swallow, Buffalo Gap; Troy Bechen, Whitewood.

Bull Riding- Colt Lesmeister, Parade; Derek Long, Timber Lake; Lane Lindsey, Hot Springs; Michael Glynn, Belvidere; Rorey Maier, Timber Lake; Rowdy Evenson, Humboldt; Shiloh Amiotte, Wanblee; Troy Crowser, Whitewood; Wade Schoenfelder, Huron.

Breakaway Roping-Courtney Bickel, Trail City; Crystal Wortman, Highmore; Jamie Claussen, R.C.; Jordan Murray, Isabel; Kristin Weston, Porcupine; Lacey Schuelke, Newell; Lexy Smith, Flandreau; Nicole Brandemuehl, R.C..

Calf Roping-Branden Baade, Artesian; Brent Fox, Hermosa; Colby Porch, Wanblee; Rio Reeves, Highmore; Tanner Lauing, Oral; Tom Hunt, Faith; Tyrell Moody, Letcher; Tyson Reuer, Mobridge; Weston Kussrer Highmore.

Goat Tying-Abby Jo Eckstaine, Kennebec; Andrea Stevens, Miller; Bailee Thompson, Buffalo; Echo Johnston, Red Owl; Jacque Orwick, Belle Fourche; Jana Jasper, Sturgis; Lacey Roberts, R.C.; Lacey Tech, Fairfax; Whitney O'Rourke, Interior.

Pole Bending-Britney Starks, Pierre; Dusti Varland, Faith; Hilary Van Gerpen, Avon; Jordyn Johnson, Sturgis; Josi Jenson, Buffalo; Kara Olson, R.C.; Kelsea Smith, R.C.; Lea Yarborough, Buffalo; Morgan Hanson, Pierre.

Queen-McKenzie Haley, Winner

Saddle Bronc-Bo Sharp, Norris; Chase Spiel, Parade; Chason Floyd, Ludlow; Chuck Schmidt, Keldron; Lance Pablo, Mission; Lane Stirling, Highmore; Ty Thompson, Wanblee.

Steer Wrestling-Brent Sutton, Onida; Del Pete Day, Lemmon; Garet Fordyce, Faith; Jerod Schwarting, White River; Joseph Airheart, New Underwood; Klay Harris, Martin; Kody Woodward, Dupree; Kyle Stoddard, Norris; Tyrel Deutscher, Flandreau.

Team Roping-Casey Kissack, Spearfish; Cassie Sigman, Sturgis; Clint Kindred Oral; Curt Westland, Belle Fourche; Dirk Leiseth, Belle Fourche, Peever; Elliott Gourneau, Kennebec; Jordan Sippel, Pierpont; Kelen Gesinger, Eagle Butte; Lee Bennett, Madison; Les Tiltrum, Hermosa; Mikey Loiseau, Egan; Paul Tierney, Oral; Ryan Kjerstad, Quinn; Tye Hale, White Owl; Tyrel Porterfield, Belle Fourche; Vanessa Dague, Belle Fourche; Will Johnson, Whitewood; Wroper Kosel, Mobridge.