Junior high athletes solid at nationals

Fallon’s up-and-coming cowboys and cowgirls are standing out at the National Junior High School Finals Rodeo.

A handful of Fallon’s best young cowboys and cowgirls took center stage this week in Des Moines, Iowa.

In total, five Fallon athletes compiled seven top-10 finishes during the first seven performances.

Leading the charge was Jace McEwen of Fallon, who competes for Lovelock, won the tie-down roping in 15.04 seconds during the third performance. His time placed 14th overall in the standings.

McEwen, though, recorded a no time in his first go in team roping.

T.J. Griener of Fallon, who competes for Fernley, was just one of two cowboys to qualify in seven events.

He placed seventh in the saddle bronc steer riding and 45th in goat tying in the first go. He took second after the first performance in the saddle bronc steer riding with 58 points.

Griener also took third in boys goat tying with a time of 11.73 in the fifth performance. In addition, he was the highest placing cowboy of the two who qualified for seven disciplines.

Jayden Jensen of the Fallon Rodeo Club, a sixth-grader at Oasis Academy, took eighth in pole bending finishing in 21.277. However, Jensen recorded a no time in team roping.

Ashley Pucceti-Price, also of the Fallon Rodeo Club, finished 10th in the third performance in pole bending with a mark of 22.103. She sits 68th overall after the first round.

Pucceti-Price returned to the arena Thursday for pole bending, although results were not available at press time.

Fernley cowboy Daunte Ceresola placed 10th in boys breakaway in the second performance with a time of 5.08 seconds.

As for the standings according to the NHSRA website, Griener was tied for seventh in saddle bronc steer riding with 58 points along with Jaxson Mirabal of Magdalena, N.M. Griener is also 40th in boys goat tying with a time of 11.73

McEwen sits in 14th in tie-down roping with a time of 15.04.

Barnes, meanwhile, was 13th in saddle bronc steer riding with 49 and 42nd in bareback steer riding after the fifth performance.

Jensen was 31st in pole bending after her run of 21.277 and Pucceti-Price 58th with a mark of 22.103.

Jensen also competed in the .22 rifle shoot, where she scored 140 points, but finished well behind the winner, Roberto Galaz of New Mexico, who tallied 334 points.

Chloe Lambert, meanwhile, qualified in goat tying but did not compete.