605 Sports Staff

GILLETTE, Wyo. — Belle Fourche High School’s Mataya Ward locked up a short-go appearance in goat tying competition at the National High School Finals Rodeo with an 8.19 second run on Thursday.

Ward’s two performance total of 15.38 seconds has the Belle Fourche graduate sitting in fourth place in the overall standings in goat tying. 

Thursday was a strong day of goat tying for Team South Dakota. Sturgis’ Landry Haugen delivered a run of 7.66 seconds good for a second-place finish in her performance. Haugen’s two-run total of 16.9 seconds moved her into ninth place in the goat tying overall standings. 

As competition resumes Friday Haugen is in seventh place in the all-around cowgirl competition. 

The South Dakota girls were in 10th place in the team standings entering Friday

Complete South Dakota girls performance results from Thursday

Girls Cutting: 18. Tava Sexton, Whitewood, 127.

Goat tying: 4. Mataya Ward, Fruitdale, 8.19; 2. Landry Haugen, Sturgis 7.66

Pole bending: 19. Aspen Vining. Buffalo. 25.604

Reined cow horse: 24. Landry Haugen, Sturgis, 139;