Thursday, September 22
Marshall, Mo.
UT Martin
at
Missouri Valley College
Photo by: UT Martin University Relations
UT MARTIN RODEO BEGINS THE CHASE THRASHER ERA WITH 2022-23 SEASON OPENER AT MISSOURI VALLEY COLLEGE
9/21/2022 4:32:00 PM | Rodeo
MARTIN, Tenn. – The 2022-23 University of Tennessee at Martin rodeo season gets going tomorrow as the Skyhawks travel to Marshall, Mo. for a three-day event (Sept. 22-24) hosted by Missouri Valley College.
This weekend marks the first of 10 regular season Ozark Region rodeos for UT Martin as the women's squad earned a win and the men's team finished second at the same event last year. The Skyhawks will compete at West Alabama (Sept. 29-Oct. 1), Three Rivers College (Oct. 13-15), Southern Arkansas (Nov. 3-5) and Murray State (Nov. 17-19) during the fall season. The spring opener is set for March 16-18 at East Mississippi Community College before visits to Pearl River (March 23-25) and Arkansas-Monticello (April 6-8). The 55th annual UT Martin Spring College Rodeo is set for April 13-15 before the regular season finale at Northwest Mississippi Community College two weeks later.
The 75th annual College National Finals Rodeo is once again set to take place in Casper, Wyo. The 2023 version of the event is scheduled for June 11-17 at the Ford Wyoming Center.
This weekend also signifies the head coaching debut of Chase Thrasher, who was appointed as the Skyhawks' fifth head coach in school history in April before officially taking over on July 1. The 2021 UT Martin graduate replaced his collegiate coach John Luthi, who retired after 25 seasons at the helm.
Thrasher returns 22 total student-athletes from last year while the 2022-23 roster also features 17 newcomers (four men, 13 women). Last season, the Skyhawk men's team entered the postseason ranked 14th nationally with 5,145 points before placing 10th at the 2022 CNFR. The UT Martin women's squad collected 1,303.33 points to finish fifth in the Ozark Region.
The Skyhawk men's team returns 10 cowboys – including all four participants from last year's CNFR run. Headlining the returners is senior Cole Walker, who last season became the ninth male in school history to capture an individual national championship – earning that title in all-around cowboy. Last season, the Sparta, Tenn. native ranked in the top-10 in the Ozark Region in all-around (1,370 points, third), team roping heeler (550, fourth), tie down roping (510, fifth) and steer wrestling (310, ninth).
Jesse Keysaer (eighth nationally with 875 points in steer wrestling in 2021-22), Jack Smithson (eighth nationally with 1,015 points in saddle bronc riding last year) and Will McCraw (top-10 in the Ozark Region in team roping header, all-around cowboy and tie down roping in 2021-22) also return after making CNFR appearances last June.
This year's UT Martin women's squad features more newcomers (13) than returners (12). Last season, a pair of Skyhawk cowgirls ranked in the top-15 in the Ozark Region in their respective statistical categories. Grace Bryant dialed up the seventh-most breakaway roping points (260) in the region while Emma Kate Wilder placed fifth in goat tying (428.3 points) and 14th in breakaway roping (145).
This weekend marks the first of 10 regular season Ozark Region rodeos for UT Martin as the women's squad earned a win and the men's team finished second at the same event last year. The Skyhawks will compete at West Alabama (Sept. 29-Oct. 1), Three Rivers College (Oct. 13-15), Southern Arkansas (Nov. 3-5) and Murray State (Nov. 17-19) during the fall season. The spring opener is set for March 16-18 at East Mississippi Community College before visits to Pearl River (March 23-25) and Arkansas-Monticello (April 6-8). The 55th annual UT Martin Spring College Rodeo is set for April 13-15 before the regular season finale at Northwest Mississippi Community College two weeks later.
The 75th annual College National Finals Rodeo is once again set to take place in Casper, Wyo. The 2023 version of the event is scheduled for June 11-17 at the Ford Wyoming Center.
This weekend also signifies the head coaching debut of Chase Thrasher, who was appointed as the Skyhawks' fifth head coach in school history in April before officially taking over on July 1. The 2021 UT Martin graduate replaced his collegiate coach John Luthi, who retired after 25 seasons at the helm.
Thrasher returns 22 total student-athletes from last year while the 2022-23 roster also features 17 newcomers (four men, 13 women). Last season, the Skyhawk men's team entered the postseason ranked 14th nationally with 5,145 points before placing 10th at the 2022 CNFR. The UT Martin women's squad collected 1,303.33 points to finish fifth in the Ozark Region.
The Skyhawk men's team returns 10 cowboys – including all four participants from last year's CNFR run. Headlining the returners is senior Cole Walker, who last season became the ninth male in school history to capture an individual national championship – earning that title in all-around cowboy. Last season, the Sparta, Tenn. native ranked in the top-10 in the Ozark Region in all-around (1,370 points, third), team roping heeler (550, fourth), tie down roping (510, fifth) and steer wrestling (310, ninth).
Jesse Keysaer (eighth nationally with 875 points in steer wrestling in 2021-22), Jack Smithson (eighth nationally with 1,015 points in saddle bronc riding last year) and Will McCraw (top-10 in the Ozark Region in team roping header, all-around cowboy and tie down roping in 2021-22) also return after making CNFR appearances last June.
This year's UT Martin women's squad features more newcomers (13) than returners (12). Last season, a pair of Skyhawk cowgirls ranked in the top-15 in the Ozark Region in their respective statistical categories. Grace Bryant dialed up the seventh-most breakaway roping points (260) in the region while Emma Kate Wilder placed fifth in goat tying (428.3 points) and 14th in breakaway roping (145).
Players Mentioned
BA, GT, TR
/ Rodeo
SW, TR
/ Rodeo
TR, CR
/ Rodeo
BB, TR
/ Rodeo
CR, TR, SW
/ Rodeo
BA, TR, GT
/ RodeoTuesday, April 07
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