Saturday, May 19, 2007

Three first-place finishes by area cowboys in Mescalero

High school rodeo season wraps up and heads to grand finale competition in Roswell

Nat Holland El Defensor Chieftain Reporter, nholland@dchieftain.com

The final high school rodeo before the state championships was held in Mescalero on Saturday and Sunday, May 12-13. Area riders finished at the top in several events and Johnny Salvo, of Horse Springs, finished as a runner up for the Reserve All-Around Cowboy.

Salvo finished first in team roping, where he is the heeler with partner Chase Massengill, of Santa Fe, with a time of 6.95 seconds on Saturday; and sixth, with 8.27 seconds on Sunday, to earn the best average time for the two-day event.

Salvo finished second in calf-roping, with a time of 11.5 seconds on Saturday; and third on Sunday, with 11.04 seconds.

Datil native Rodee Walraven and partner Beau Marshall, of Truth or Consequences, finished first in team roping Saturday, with a time of 6.24 seconds, but did not place on Sunday.

Quirt McDaniel, of Claunch, finished first in bareback bronc riding on Sunday, and third on Saturday, for the best average finish.

Salvo's team is the best-ranked in team roping, and individually he is ranked third in calf-roping and sixth in all-around points.

Walraven's team is ranked second in team roping, and he is ranked 10th in all-around points.

Quirt McDaniel is ranked second in bareback bronc riding.

Edging out Salvo for the top honors was Calvin Brevik, of Durango, Colo.

Brevik finished first in calf roping Saturday, and first in steer wrestling on Sunday.

Brevik is one of several riders from southern Colorado who participate in the New Mexico High School Rodeo Association.

Earning top honors for the girls was Jordan Muncy, of Torrance County, as All-Around Cowgirl and Sorrel Huntington, of Red Mesa, Colo., finished as Reserve All-Around Cowgirl.

The NMHSRA will conclude its season in Roswell in the state finals June 7-10.

Top finishers in the state finals may qualify to go to the national finals in Illinois.

The state finals include several days of rodeo events, one day of which will be televised.

One of the other main features of the state finals is the contest that decides who will be the New Mexico High School Rodeo Queen for the 2007-2008 year.

E-mail this story Printer-friendly version