Sports
BRETT HOFFMAN: Sideways ride leads to college rodeo title
Chad German knew what he had to do when he faced his final round bull at the College National Finals Rodeo.
If the Hill College cowboy made a qualified ride, he’d win the championship buckle on the basis of finishing as the only cowboy to stay on all four bulls.
During the closing moments of the eight-second ride, German hung on the side and received a so-so score of 74.5. But he clinched the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association title with a four-ride score of 292.5 on June 20 in Casper, Wyo.
“I never actually heard the whistle,” German said. “So, I just kept on riding and ended up going up underneath the bull.”
German said he would have let go earlier had he known the whistle had sounded.
“I would have saved myself getting bumped around a little bit and going all the way to the ground with my head,” German said.
German, 21, who is from Groesbeck, has long worked for the collegiate title. He began riding calves in junior rodeos when he was 5 and moved on up through the junior ranks. By the time that he was a teenager, he was honing his skills on larger bulls, went through the high school ranks and then earned a rodeo scholarship at Hill.
At 18, German also joined the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and he now has career earnings of $71,207.
But after recently earning an associate’s degree at Hill, German he’ll turn his full attention his toward to PRCA.
“My confidence is about as high as it’s ever been right now,” German said. “I was kind of hit and miss, but I went to a PRCA rodeo in Killeen about a week before the College Finals. I was 90 points on that bull and was feeling confident by the time that I got to the college finals.”
German is the sixth Hill College bull rider to win a collegiate title. The others were Philip Elkins (1993), Aaron Williams (1996), Chad Eubank (2003), Matt Austin (2005) and Jerrod Craig (2006).
At the school’s Hillsboro campus, there’s a sign that lists past national champions at the rodeo arena where longtime Hill rodeo coach Paul Brown soon will paint German’s name on the board.
“Right before Chad left for the College National Finals, he said: ‘I want my name right under underneath Jerrod Craig’s name,’” Brown said.
Roping in the cash
Nevada native and veteran all-around hand Preston Williams won the 2009 World’s Greatest Roper event on June 21 in conjunction with the Reno (Nev.) Rodeo.
The 34-year-old former college national all-around champion had a total time of 78.1 seconds on nine head (three rounds each of heading, tie-down roping, and heeling) to edge second-place Randon Adams by two seconds for the $25,000 paycheck from Lazy E Productions.
Adams, the defending PRCA world champion team roping heeler, earned $12,000, while Marty Becker and Jake Cooper tied for third place, each receiving $6,000.
Brett Hoffman is a 20-year rodeo columnist.
- Sports
-
-
NJCAA WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT: Lady Cards get final dress rehearsal
The Trinity Valley Community College Lady Cardinals are serious about this national tournament business.
-
AHS shifts focus to playoffs
The Athens Hornets and Lady Hornets soccer teams swept Mabank in District 31-4A action Friday night. It was the regular season finale for both Athens teams, which are now headed for the playoffs.
-
TVCC needs to put all distractions aside
SALINA, Kan. — If you’ve read the paper lately, you know a couple of things about Trinity Valley Community College.
-
Missed FTs didn’t slow ‘T-Lee’ down
SALINA, Kan. — Tawanna Lee was in a pressure cooker.
There she stood, in front of about 250 fans — mostly from Trinity Valley — toeing up to the free throw line and trying to spoil the trip of the upset-minded Kilgore Lady Rangers at Cardinal Gym on Jan. 9. -
NJCAA WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT BLOG: On the road
SOMEWHERE IN KANSAS -- Our crew of three -- former Athens Review sports editor Benny Rogers (now with TVCC), photographer Charles Stiff and myself -- are on Interstate 135 heading north toward Salina. That's where the TVCC Lady Cardinals will open their bid for the school's sixth national championship tomorrow at 8:15 p.m. against Walters State in the first round of the NJCAA Women's National Basketball Tournament.
-
2010 HORNET VARSITY BASEBALL TOURNAMENT: Our field, our title
The Athens Hornets got their fourth consecutive win Saturday and a little hardware, too.
-
HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL: Mash unit
Before the season, Athens Head Coach Tony Sikes knew he had a team with a little more power than last season.
But this, well, he couldn’t have seen this coming. -
NJCAA WOMEN'S NATIONAL TOURNAMENT: Future in hand
Here’s a brief look at each of the 16 teams that will be vying for the NJCAA Women’s Basketball National Championship beginning next Tuesday at the Bicentennial Center in Salina, Kan. Teams are listed with their tournament seeding. Information is courtesy of NJCAA.org:
-
JAYSON LARSON: Against all odds, she did it
It had been less than a handful of years since the bicycle accident that left her temporarily paralyzed and nearly dead.
-
Lady Hornets lay the wood on Kemp, 17-1
The Athens Lady Hornets will head into District 20-3A play next week with plenty of momentum.
- More Sports Headlines
-
