Rodeo team does well at Silver State

Levi Guenzler and Jessica Picchietti both had great times at the Silver State International Rodeo in Nevada last week, and the four members who went, including Naomi Knight and Brett Harris, ended up helping take the runner-up award for the overall team competition - with the other Montana riders - as a result of their hard work.

Knight had a time of 18.654 in the first round of barrel racing last week to kick off the rodeo, while Picchietti finished right behind her at 18.796.

Picchietti then crushed everyone in the breakaway roping with an incredible 2.88 time for first place in the first round, and then finished with a 9.56 in the goat-tying event later in the day.

Picchietti finished with a time of 21.951 in the poles, with Knight right behind her at 28.589 for the first round.

In steer wrestling, Guenzler took second in the first round with a great time of 5.53, and then finished just out of the top 10 in team roping with partner Kate Sharon with a time of 12.72.

Picchietti and partner Bridger Chambers finished with a time of 33.3 in the team roping event.

Guenzler finished with a time of 19.08 in the first round of the calf roping event.

Guenzler and Sharon finished the second round of team roping with a time of 13.67, while Harris and his teammate, Dustin Wilson, finished with a time of 23.76. Picchietti and Chambers finished in the top 10 with a time of 12.34.

Picchietti was in sixth place in breakaway roping with an average time of 8 seconds, out of dozens of participants, and 11th in goat tying with an average of 20.07 seconds by Saturday.

She also finished in the top 15 in pole bending with an average time of 43.613 by Saturday.

Guenzler finished a close second in the steer wrestling overall, with his original time of 5.53, and also finished in the top 10 in team roping with partner Sharon.

Picchietti finished seventh overall for the whole rodeo in breakaway with an average time of 12.27, and 12th overall in goat tying with a final average of 31.2 seconds.

She finished sixth in poles overall with a final of 65.308 over the course of the rodeo.

Guenzler and Sharon finished third overall in team roping with a combined time of 42.6 for the week, while Picchietti and Chambers finished in the 19th spot with a combined time of 45.64.

Due to the success of the Mission Valley Rodeo Team, and other Montana students there, the Montana team finished in second place nationwide, only behind Utah.