Hill College rodeo teams ride into third competition of the season this week
Jessyca Brown
Wednesday, October 13, 2021 8:32 AM
Athletics
Hillsboro, TX
The Hill College men’s and women’s rodeo teams will hit the road for their third rodeo of the fall season this weekend at Northeast Texas Community College in Mt. Pleasant.
Performances at the Panola College rodeo in September and the Southwest Texas Junior College rodeo earlier this month earned the teams a current overall ranking of fifth (men’s team) and seventh (women’s team) in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA) Southern Region.
“After two events, the Hill College men’s team needs to pick up momentum,” said rodeo coach and athletic director Paul Brown. “We have a few athletes sitting good in their respective events, but as a team, we are better than what we have shown. Our team members just need to not make little mistakes and draw good livestock. This is a really good team and should be fine at the end of the year.”
Several Hill College cowboys are showing signs of promise with current regional and national rankings. Sophomore Jarrod Hammons and freshman Cutter Kaylor are holding steady in their events with Hammons currently ranked second in saddle bronc riding and Kaylor ranked third in bull riding. Nationally, Hammons holds the No. 15 spot and Kaylor is ranked No. 22.
Freshmen Max Mathis and JB Collins are ranked fifth and sixth in the region, respectively, in tie down roping. Team ropers sophomore Chance Littleben and freshman Todd Sells are ranked fourth, and freshmen Cole Walker and Alden Dauer are ranked twelfth in steer wrestling.
“Jarrod Hammons is leading the team in points sitting a close second in the region title race, and he is a real contender for a national championship,” Brown said. “Max and JB have started the year off good in calf roping. Cutter is coming off injuries, but he should be a real threat this year. I expect several of these plus a couple of other athletes to really come around this year. Of these top athletes, Jarrod is the only returning team member.”
Freshman cowgirl Ainslee Morris is ranked fourth in breakaway roping and eleventh in goat tying in the region. Sophomores Fallon Hanson and Jordi Edens are both ranked thirteenth in breakaway roping.
“Newcomer Ainslee Morris had a great second rodeo winning second in a tough breakaway and placing in goat tying, as well as winning the reserve all-around title for the [Southwest Texas Junior College] rodeo,” said Brown.
Edens and sophomore Brighton Bauman return to the women’s team after both barely missing qualifying for the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) last year in the breakaway roping finishing fourth and fifth, respectively, in the region. Brown said he also expects freshmen Jessi Harris and Kalli McCall to make significant contributions to the women’s team this year.
“Jessi, whose parents both rodeoed for Hill College and her dad was my assistant for several years, is a real contender in the barrel race,” Brown said. “She lost her good horse this summer after qualifying for the NHSRA finals and is trying to get with a new horse. Kalli dominated her high school region last year in the barrels and should help us out as a two-event cowgirl.”
“I am super excited to see how this year ends up,” Brown added. “We have a lot of really good kids that are working hard at collegiate rodeo. It’s going to be a fun year.”
Last year, the women’s team finished sixth in the Southern Region. The men’s team finished as reserve regional champions and sent six team members to the CNFR. The men’s team ended their try at finals ranked No. 32 in the nation.
Hill College also has seven former athletes who will compete in the 2021 National Finals Rodeo (NFR), which is taking place in Las Vegas beginning Thursday, Dec. 2. Three first-year qualifiers include heeler Ross Ashford in team roping, bareback rider Zach Hibler, and calf roper John Douch. Other former athletes to watch at the NFR are steer roper Cody Lee and calf ropers Shane Hanche, Marty Yates, and Cory Solomon.
Hill College 2021 Fall Rodeo Schedule
Oct. 15-16 at Northeast Texas Community College
Oct. 29-30 at McNeese State University
Nov. 11-13 at Sam Houston State University
Hill College Rodeo Team Roster
Name Event(s) Grade Hometown
Tanner Allen Saddle Bronc Riding FR Clifton, TX
Bull Riding
LuLu Ashley Barrel Racing FR Midlothian, TX
Camden Baucom Saddle Bronc Riding SO Midlothian, TX
Brighton Bauman Breakaway Roping, SO Okeechobee, FL
Team Roping
Rylee Barton Barrel Racing FR Kopperl, TX
Brayden Bruton Breakaway Roping SO Grandview, TX
Goat Tying
Sterling Bryant Team Roping FR Cleburne, TX
Landon Bynum Steer Wrestling FR Abbott, TX
J.B. Collins Calf Roping FR Rosenburg, TX
Team Roping
Alden Dauer Steer Wrestling FR Azle, TX
Team Roping
Jake Dollander Team Roping FR Granbury, TX
Jordi Edens Breakaway Roping, FR Gatesville, TX
Team Roping
Morgan Elder Barrel Racing SO Caddo Mills, TX
Cade Fedor Steer Wrestling FR Grandview, TX
Branna Fischer Barrel Racing SO Canada
Cole Ford Calf Roping SO Louisiana
Team Roping
Jarrod Hammons Saddle Bronc Riding SO Stephenville, TX
Fallon Hanson Breakaway Roping SO Oregon
Jessi Harris Barrel Racing FR Itasca, TX
Dylan Hoffman Team Roping SO Normangee, TX
Jamarcus Horace Calf Roping SO Conroe, TX
Cutter Kaylor Bull Riding FR Jasper, TX
Zane Kelly Calf Roping SO Combine, TX
Steer Wrestling
Team Roping
Kelly Kendrick Breakaway Roping SO Omaha, NE
Ryland Kirk Bull Riding SO Carrollton, GA
Jensen Ladd Barrel Racing FR Minnesota
Chance Littleben Team Roping SO Arizona
Cooper Mathews Calf Roping SO Cleburne, TX
Team Roping
Max Mathis Calf Roping FR Ben Wheeler, TX
Steer Wrestling
Team Roping
Kalli McCall Breakaway Roping FR Lufkin, TX
Barrel Racing
Brice Meyers Calf Roping SO Grandview, TX
Jahmal Moore Bull Riding FR Baytown, TX
Ainslee Morris Breakaway Roping FR Belton, TX
Goat Tying
Rhody Niles Bareback Riding FR Huntsville, TX
Steer Wrestling
Wylie Rains Saddle Bronc Riding SO Aquilla, TX
Cody Rose Bareback Riding SO California
Chase Rutherford Bareback Riding SO Itasca, TX
Sarah Scott Barrel Racing FR Cleburne, TX
Todd Sells Team Roping FR Arizona
Trinity Smith Breakaway Roping FR Krum, TX
Goat Tying
Barrel Racing
Kaylee Traylor Breakaway Roping FR Mississippi
Kendal Turner Breakaway Roping FR Teague, TX
Goat Tying
Cole Walker Steer Wrestling FR Springtown, TX
Peyton Walters Team Roping SO Justin, TX
Cassidy Watson Barrel Racing FR Wylie, TX
Chase Webster Calf Roping SO Utah
Team Roping
Jaishaun Wofford Steer Wrestling FR Euless, TX
