Hill College rodeo team members and alumni finish strong in the 2018 PRCA World and Rookie standings, Ashford named Rookie of the Year Heeler
Hill College
Tuesday, October 30, 2018 1:10 PM
Athletics
Hillsboro, TX
Seven of the Hill College’s past rodeo team members will be competing for gold buckles and world titles at this year’s Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (WNFR). Jake Brown, former assistant rodeo coach, will again be competing in the bareback riding going into the finals in the ninth spot with $101,402.58. Unfortunately, recent alum Zack Hibler won’t make it to the finals this year, but he still ended up 27th in the world standings with $42,877.20 won.
In the saddle bronc riding, Sterling Crawley is going into the finals sitting 10th with $98,747.76 and Joey Sonnier III is in the 13th position having won $79,114.05.
In the tie-down roping, four out of the 15 cowboys have either been a student at Hill College, or are a current member of the Rodeo Team. Winning the World standings is Shane Hanchey with $136,577.32 won. Another recent alumnus, Cooper Martin, is seventh going into the national finals with $91,938.14 won. Other alumni include Cory Solomon in ninth place with $86,674.88 won, Marty Yates is 10th with $86,482.63 won and Blane Cox just missed making the NFR by less than $100. Recent alumni Bo Pickett was 42nd and John Douch, who was the 2018 CNFR reserved national champion calf roper, ended the year 43rd.
In the bull riding, past alumni Tyler Bingham is ninth with $101,583.48 won, and last year’s rodeo team member and College National Finals Champion bull rider, Cole Melancon, is 11th with $99,973.49 won. Current student athlete, McCoy Profili, a sophomore from Anderson, ended the year 24th in the world all-around standings.
In the 2018 PRCA Resistol Rookie World all-around standings is current student and rodeo team member, Cyle Denison, who ended the year fifth with $22,383.36 won. He is a tie-down roper and also is a team roping header, and ended the year fourth in the rookie standings with $20,563.11. His heeler, also a current Hill College student and rodeo team member, Ross Ashford, won $26,916.94 and was named Rookie of the Year Heeler.
In the tie-down roping four of the top 25 rookies are current Hill College students or alumni. Pickett was third with $37,151.69, Douch was fourth with $37,146.02. Current students King Pickett finished 21st with $3,663.23 and Denison finished 22nd with $3,556.66. In the bareback riding, Hibler won the rookie standings with $42,877.20.
Hill College sophomore and rodeo team member, Ross Ashford, from Lott, Texas, won $26,916.94 for the 2018 pro rodeo season and was named PRCA Resistol Rookie of the Year Heeler.
Cyle Denison, a Hill College sophomore from Iowa, La., placed fifth in the year-end 2018 Resistol Rookie All Around standings with $22,383.36 won. He placed fourth in the team roping Rookie standings with $20,563.11 won, and finished 22nd in the tie-down roping with $3,556.66 won in that event.