By 605 Sports Staff

WATERTOWN — High school rodeo athletes from eastern South Dakota had their final tuneups for the high school rodeo finals with this weekend’s regional rodeo in Watertown. 

Payton Tobin of Wessington Springs earned 19 points to finish first in bareback riding. Lake Andes cowboy Christopher Nelson scored 20 points to win the saddle bronc riding while

Letcher’s Mason Moody scored 19 points to earn the most points in bull riding.

Mitchell’s Samantha Ford scored 17 points in barrel racking to edge Aurora’s Keylee Zancanella who scored 15 points. Zancanella and Kimball’s Swayne Ness tied for most points in breakaway roping with ten. 

Athletes scoring the maximum amount of points possible this weekend were Michaela McCormick of Salem in goat tying (20), Huron’s Victoria Buffington in girls cutting (20) and Redfield’s Shyann Marzahn (20) in the pole bending competition. Buffington tied Woonsocket’s Bailey Feistern in the reined cow horse competition, each athlete scoring 18 points. 

Huron’s Colt Dunkelberger scored 19 points earning top honors in steer wrestling. The tandem of Seth Gaikowski, Waubay and Conner Herren of Crooks scored 15 points in the team roping competition. Crooks tied with Mason Moody of Letcher as both athletes scored 18 points. 

Saddle Bronc Riding: 1. Christopher Nelson, Lake Andes, 20.

Bareback Riding: 1. Payton Tobin, Wessington Springs, 19; 2. Devon Moore, Clear Lake, 10.

Barrel Racing: 1. Samatha Ford, Mitchell, 17; 2. Keylee Zancanella, Aurora, 15; 3. Shada Beeson, Wagner, 11; 4. Brooke Knoll, Avon, 11; 5. Addyson Wittnebel, Castlewood, 10; 6. Kylie Wittnebel, Castlewood, 9; 7. Callie Aamot, De Smet, 8; 8. Sidney Johnson, Sisseton, 8; 9. Lacey Westphal, Leola, 7; 10. Sage Sippel, Pierpont, 5; 11. Hannah Eldeen, Parker, 4; 12. Shyann Marzahn, Redfield, 3; 13. Raylee Fagerhaug, Wessington Springs, 2.

Breakaway Roping: 1. Keylee Zancanella, Aurora, 10; 2. Swayze Ness, Kimball, 10; 3. Summer Beeson, Wagner, 9; 4. Tyra Gates, Miller, 9; 5. Sidney Johnson, Sisseton, 9; 6. Tierney Breen, Woonsocket, 8; 7. Teya Moody, Woonsocket, 8; 8. Taya Miles, Indwood, Iowa, 8; 9. Emily Richie, Bristol, 7; 10. Samantha Ford, Mitchell, 6.50; 11. Jazz McGirr, Huron, 6; 12. Lexus Bartling, Brookings, 6; 13. Megan Delay, Beresford, 6; 14. Mashell Bohenkamp, Baltic, 3.50; 15. Sage Sippel, Pierpont, 2; 16. Raylee Fagerhaug, Wessington Springs, 2; 17. Jordyn Tibbs, Elkton, 1.

Bull Riding: 1. Mason Moody, Letcher, 19; 2. Tate Meyer, Huron, 10; 3. Jesse Kline, Hartford, 9.

Goat Tying: 1. Michaela McCormick, Salem, 20; 2. Devin Hunter, Huron, 17; 3. Raylee Fagerhaug, Wessington Springs, 15; 4. Tyra Gates, Miller, 14; 5. Kylie Wittnebel, Castlewood, 12; 6. Gracey Stephens, Hartford, 11; 7. Tierney Breen, Woonsocket, 8; 8. Jazz McGirr, Huron, 4; 9. Ally Henkel, Mitchell, 4; 10. Paige Marzahn, Redfield, 2; 11. Sidney Johnson, Sisseton, 2; 12. Hannah Heezen, Wessington Springs, 1. 

Girls Cutting: 1. Victoriah Buffington, Huron, 20; 2. Sidney Stahl, Kimball, 17; 3. Kayleigh Bowden, Huron, 9.

Pole Bending: 1. Shyann Marzahn, Redfield, 20; 2. Kylie Wittnebel, Castlewood, 15; 3. Callie Aamot, De Smet, 12; 4. Addyson Wittnebel, Castlewood, 11; 5. Raylee Fagerhaug, Wessington Springs, 9; 6. Taylor McGregor, Canistota, 8; 7. Shada Beeson, Wagner, 7; 8. Samantha Ford, Mitchell, 6; 9. Tyra Gates, Miller, 5; 10. Ally Henkel, Mitchell, 4; 11. Brooke Knoll, Avon, 4; 12. Maddy Boyd, Sioux Falls, 3; 13. Faith Fliehs, Aberdeen, 2; 14. Sierra McGregor, Canistota, 2; 15. Sage Sippel, Pierpont, 1; 16. Summer Beeson, Wagner, 1. 

Reined Cow Horse: 1. Bailey Feistner, Woonsocket, 18; 2. Victoriah Buffington, Huron, 18; 3. Samantha Ford, Mitchell, 10; 4. Faith Fliehs, Aberdeen, 8.

Saddle Bronc Riding: 1. Christopher Nelson, Lake Andes, 20.

Steer Wrestling: 1. Colt Dunkelberger, Huron, 19; 2. Chase Olson, Hartford, 16; 3. Kade Odens, Scotland, 10; 4. Kaden Tekrony, Clear Lake, 8; 5. Jaxon Bowes, Brookings, 8.

Team Roping: 1. Seth Gaikowski, Waubay/Conner Herren, Crooks, 15; 2. Trey Moody, Woonsocket/Garret Varilek, Geddes, 14; 3. Jace Tekrony, Clear Lake/Kaden Tekrony, Clear Lake, 13; 4. Mason Moody, Letcher/Drew Stroschein, Dell Rapids, 12; 5. Royce Bruns, Plankinton/Josie Mousel, Colman, 10; 6. Shayda Ness, Kimball/Swayze Ness, Kimball, 9; 7. Skylar Carlson, Beresford/Owen Eitemiller, Armour, 9; 8. Tigh Gaikowski, Waubay/Caleb Miller, Summit, 7; 9. John Halverson, Fairview/Dylan McGregor, Salem, 5; 10. Tate Johnson, Sisseton/Tyan Johnson, Sisseton, 4; 11. Chase Frericks, Frankfort/Burke Williams, Redfield, 3; 12. Tyler Esser, Frankfort/Chase Olson, Hartford, 3; 13. Chase Varilek, Geddes/Sidney Johnson, Sisseton, 2; 14. Kylie Moyer, South Shore/Sage Sippel, Pierpont, 2; 15. Carson Garry, Hartford/Aidan Healy, Hartford, 1; 16. Keylee Zancanella, Aurora/Jordyn Tibbs, Elkton, 1.

Tiedown Roping: 1. Conner Herren, Crooks, 18; 2. Mason Moody, Letcher, 18; 3. Jack Mousel, Colman, 9; 4. Royce Bruns, Plankinton, 9; 5. Seth Gaikowski, Waubay, 9; 6. Drew Stroschein, Dell Rapids, 7; 7. Kade Odens, Scotland, 7; 8. Cade Grill, Mitchell, 7; 9. Jace Tekrony, Clear Lake, 6; 10. Aidan Healy, Hartford, 5; 11. Nick Kappenman, Madison, 4; 12. Kaden Tekrony, Clear Lake, 3; 13. Jaxon Bowes, Brookings, 3; 14. Tate Johnson, Sisseton, 3; 15. Tyan Johnson, Sisseton, 2.