Shaw reaches championship round

CASPER, Wyo. -- One is in, while other Missouri Valley College cowboys are waiting to see if they'll be around for Saturday's championship round of the College National Finals Rodeo at Casper, Wyo.

Junior Jake Shaw of Cocoa, Fla., became the first Viking to nail down a spot in the finals Thursday by tying for seventh place in steer wrestling. The winner of the first "go" in the event, Shaw bounced back from a sub-par second round to post a time of 5.3 seconds during his third attempt.

Shaw is currently sixth in the overall standings, with only six competitors capable of catching him during today's action, so is assured of finishing in the top 12 -- the cutoff for finalists.

Less certain, but still alive, is sophomore Will Smith of Luyoff, S.C., in saddle bronc riding. He posted his best score during his third go Thursday at 72.5 points, tied for sixth in the round -- which is not yet completed.

Smith is in ninth place for the meet with 205.5 points, but there remain seven riders who have a shot of equaling his three-for-three showing. Three of them would likely pass him in points with successful rides, with a fourth -- the one which would knock Smith out of the finals -- needing a score of only 66.

The Lady Vikings won't have anybody involved Saturday night.

Junior Krista Staley gave it a shot in goat tying Thursday in her third go, recording a time of 8.6 seconds -- which was wiped away when the rope came loose.

That score would have moved Staley into the lead among Valley entries -- senior Amy Adametz and junior Katie Kimble having completed their preliminaries, both temporarily in the top 20.

Senior Kallie Agre finished up with a no score in breakaway roping, her second of the rodeo.

While one Viking gets set for Saturday, and another waits to see if he will join him, a third can also qualify if he can overcome the adversity which has so far beset him this week.

Freshman Will Crain on Farina, Ill., will make his third try at bull riding today -- having been thrown during his first two attempts. Only eight entries have finished two eight-second rides, with two more possibly doing so today.

Crain won't need the meet-best 84.0 of Wharton (Texas) Community College's Cameron Bland to vault into the finals, but he will need to match the 80.5 recorded by two other contestants -- and hope none of the other six riders still looking for their first score does better.

Also not to be counted out are MVC's bareback riders. Junior Kyle Brennecke of Grain Valley finished his prelims in 12th place and eliminating him from contention would take only a modest score by any of the five riders who are up for the third time today -- among them junior teammate James Earl Carter of Ellsinore.

Carter is third among those left to go in the third round, needing a 70 -- a half-point under his two-ride average this week -- to guarantee a berth in the finals.

Valley is currently in 24th place in the men's standings with 140 points, a figure which could go down if Shaw or Smith lose ground as the third go is completed in their events or rise if the Vikings can get strong performances today.