After stellar fall season, DSU rodeo to start spring

By Dustin Monke

April 02, 2009 at 10:00 PM

The fall portion of the rodeo season showed just how good Dickinson State could be.

Now it's time for the Blue Hawks to prove they belong being mentioned among the nation's elite programs.

The DSU women climbed as high as second and the men reached third in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association point standings during the fall portion of the season.

"The fall went outstanding," DSU coach Scott Kleeman said. "It's one of the best ones we've had since I've been here in my five years."

But, the long winter layoff for the Great Plains Region -- which DSU leads on both sides -- allowed schools in southern states to put in more rodeos and dropped the Blue Hawk women to 11th and the men to 15th in the national standings.

But that doesn't seem to bother both Kleeman and his team much.

With four rodeos remaining on the spring schedule, including the two-day Blue Hawk Stampede at on April 30 and May 1 at Dickinson's Outdoor Arena, DSU has the Great Plains Region all but locked up on the women's side and the men are in good position to claim another title with a 330-point lead over Black Hills State.

"We've got guys scattered all over the board," Kleeman said. "If you look at the regional level, you run out of breath talking about people we have placing. But you can go to the national standings and see we have six, seven contestants in the top seven or eight in the national standings."

Isaiah Pemberton leads the GPR in the men's all-around and tie-down roping.

Meanwhile on the women's side, defending goat tying co-national champion Kobi Olineck has a large lead in the event and Halley Treeby has a wide advantage in both the breakaway roping and appears to be the only true contender to take the women's all-around crown this season.

Kleeman said he's not worried about Olineck defending her title despite her sitting 15th in the national standings.

Last season, Olineck transferred to DSU in time for the spring semester and put in just three rodeos before the College National Finals Rodeo, where she chased down the title.

"It'd almost be better to leave her back there and let her chase them a little bit," Kleeman said. "The girl's competitive and she'll come and get them."

Troy Vaira leads the GPR bareback riding standings and numerous others have positioned themselves to chase championships when the team opens a hectic April with the two-day South Dakota State Rodeo today in Brookings, S.D.

Ty Thompson is second in the saddle bronc riding and is chasing Tyler Manke of Black Hills State.

In the tie-down roping, DSU has seven of the top 15 in the region with John Pfaff in second behind Pemberton.

Jade Harper is a close second to SDSU's Patrick Cowan in the steer wrestling. DSU's Ryan Routier and Black Hills State's Taylor Williams are a close second in the team roping with the DSU duo of Pembmerton and Justin Miller right behind in third. Miller sits second in the all-around behind his team roping partner.

"It'll be interesting," Kleeman said. "We'll learn a lot in Brookings. We've got two rodeos down there and I think it's going to be interesting. ... But it goes quick and all of a sudden, we're here for our rodeo and it all boils down to that."

Standings

Men

1, Dickinson State 2,955

2, Black Hills State 2,625

3, South Dakota State 1,725

4, Iowa Central Community 1, 215

5, Nebraska-Tech. Agriculture 840

6, Mitchell Technical Institute 650

7, Northeast Community 420

8, Nebraska-Lincoln 230

9, North Dakota State 175

10, Wisconson-River Falls 150