By 605 Sports Staff

FORT PIERRE — White River’s Hazin Schmidt is having himself a heck of a bull riding season.

Schmidt had rides of 65 and 67 in his first region rodeo. After a no score in the first go-round of his second region rodeo Schmidt scored a 62 and entered the South Dakota High School Rodeo Finals with 30 points. On Thursday, Schmidt scored a season's best of 72 and entered Friday’s second go-round leading the bull riding competition with 44 points. Only three bull riders scored Thursday with Huron’s Brady Meyer scoring a 56 where he currently has 41 points in the cumulative scoring. White Horse’s Wynn Lawrence had the top ride of the day scoring 73 points and he is currently third in the competition with 35 points.

Thursday results from South Dakota High School Rodeo Association state finals

Bareback Riding: 

Highmore’s Talon Ping had Thursday’s top ride scoring a 69 worth 15 points. Entering Friday’s second go-round Ping leads the competition with 42 points, ahead of Blunt’s Talon Yellow Hawk (38.50) and Gregory’s Taos Weborg (37). Custer’s Leighton Sander has 32 points and St. Francis’ Christopher Farmer rounds out the top five with 31.50 points

Barrel Racing: 

Buffalo’s Sattyn Wllson had Thursday’s top time (17.785) and leads the barrel racing competition with 43 points. Wall’s Jayda Reinert has 41 points and Sturgis’s Arina Haugen is third with 39 points. Pierre’s Makenzee Wheelhouse has 39 points and Dupree’s Minda Woodward rounds out the top-five with 35 points.

Breakaway Roping: 

Thursday’s evening performance was highlighted by a 2.310 second run from Spearfish’s Brylee Grubb. That run moved Grubb up to seventh in the overall standings with 26 points. Current standings: Sturgis athlete Arina Haugen leads the field with 33 points, just ahead of Faith’s Rylee Price (32.5) and Belle Fourche’s Shaine Weishaar (30.5). Pierpont’s Sage Sippel and New Underwood’s Jessica Casper both have 29 points to round out the top-five heading into Friday’s second go-round. 

Goat Tying: 

Late in Thursday’s evening session Fruitdale’s Mataya Ward lit up the arena with a time of 6.48 seconds in the goat tying. Ward leads that competition with 45 points ahead of Woonsocket’s Tierney Breen (41) and Custer’s Kylee Ellerton (34). Reva’s Bailey Verhulst (29.5) with Spearfish’s Brylee Grubb (29) rounding out the top-five.

Pole Bending:

Arina Haugen has been dominant in this event all season. On Thursday her time of 20.83 was the second fastest performance, worth 14 points. Haugen leads the competition with 44 points, ahead of Buffalo’s Aspen Vining (39) and Wall’s Terryn (33). Burke’s Piper Hanson (29) and Wall’s Piper Cordes (28.5) round out the top-five. Hemingford, Nebraska’s Sophie Hruby had Thursday’s top time (20.224) and moved to eighth place in the overall standings with 25 points. 

Saddle Bronc: 

Isabel’s Rope Roghair had Thursday’ top ride scoring 60 points. Roghair leads the overall standings with 40 points, ahead of Hoven’s Ethan Johnson and Backus’ Garit Hockett (34). Pine Ridge’s Cole Waters (32) and St. Francis athlete Taiten Eaton (25) round out the top-five. 

Steer Wrestling:

Buffalo’s Trey Tetrualt had Thursday’s top time of 6.04 seconds. Smithwick’s Gabe Glines continues to lead the field with 41 points and is tied with Eagle Butte’s Braydon Terveen-Smith (41) with Tetrault in third with 38 points. Springfield’s Treyvan Talsma (37) and Kadoka’s Dalton Porch (33) round out the top-five. 

Team Roping: 

The Belle Fourche tandem of Rance Bowden and Sern Weishaar won Thursday’s go-round with a time of 7.580 seconds. Bowden and Weishaar lead the competition with 44 points, ahead of Wall’s Brand Hilgenkamp and Hermosa’s Slate Suhn (38) and Faith’s Drew Harper and Belle Fouche’s Jet Jensen (36) points. Sisseton’s Sidney Johnson and Aurora’s Keylee Zancanella (36) and White River’s Taten Hill and Smithwick’s Gabe Glines (29) round out the top-five teams. 

Tiedown Roping: 

Blunt’s Paden Belkham won Thursday’s first go-round with a time of 10.62 seconds. Belkham leads the competition with 44 points, ahead of Belle Fourche’s Rance Bowden (41) and Kadoka’s Dalton Porch (36). Belle Fourche’s Sern Weishaar (32) along with White River’s Taten Hill and Wall’s Cayne Merrill, each with 27 points round out the top-six.