Picchietti finishes fourth at NHSRF
(Jim Blow/Leader)<br>Arlee cowgirl Jessica Picchietti had a good run at last week's National High School Rodeo Finals, finishing fourth in the Rookie All Around Cowgirl competition.
GILLETTE, Wyo. - Jessica Picchietti led Mission Valley rodeo athletes with a fourth place finish in the All Around Rookie Cowgirl competition of the National High School Rodeo Finals in Gillette, Wyo. Picchietti earned 230 points.
The Arlee cowgirl placed 13th overall in the pole bending average with 62.911 points and was 67th in goat tying with an overall 28.302 score.
Ronan's Sarah Guenzler placed 29th in pole bending, totaling 42.469 points. Fellow Montanan Haley Anderson of Chinook won the pole bending overall average.
Donnie Benson of Ronan placed 23rd with an 18.938 total in steer wrestling. Benson also earned a National High School Rodeo Association Foundation Scholarship, one of three Montana students to earn the $500 scholarship. This fall, Benson will rodeo for Northeast Texas Community College in Mount Pleasant, Texas.
Arlee's Levi Hendrickson earned points on one qualifying ride in bareback, but finished 77th with 43 points. Scott Dark competed in saddle bronc, but didn't score.
Stacy Harris had a good run in the second go of breakaway roping on Saturday night, finishing third in the go with a time of 3.536 seconds.
Jessica Milliron competed in cutting, finishing 11th in the first round on Tuesday night with a score of 211. She scored a 205 on Friday morning to finish 12th, but out of the final go.
"It was a good week … with activities from sunup to sundown," rodeo mom Dawn Benson said.
She said the camp was so large it qualified as Wyoming's 14th largest city for the weeklong rodeo. Participation was high, too, with this year's NHSRF just four participants short of setting a new record in contestants.