Ali Ayers owns barrel competition at Pearl River Rodeo

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – West Alabama barrel racer Ali Ayers finished first in the first round, the short round and in the average at the season-opening Ozark Region rodeo hosted by Pearl River Community College at the James Lynn Cartlidge Multi-Purpose Building in Hattiesburg.

The West Alabama women posted a sixth/seventh team finish and the men finished fifth overall. Missouri Valley won the team title for women and East Mississippi Community College was the men’s team champion.

The first-place finishes didn’t end with Ayers, however. Defending Ozark Region champion Lance Daniel won the bull riding and Tyler Thornton won first in team roping.

Ryanne Heath first in the long round of breakaway roping and was third in the average. Max Dever-Boaz was second in the first round of calf roping and finished fourth in the average.

Cooper Christensen won third in the calf roping short go and fifth in the average, as well as taking fourth in the steer wrestling long go. Trevor Colby was sixth in the first round of team roping.

Marlee Malcom and Cady Cooper, as well as Lucas Brasfield and Cody Stubbs, were top 10 finishers in team roping.

The Tiger Wranglers travel to the Missouri Valley Rodeo this Thursday through Saturday. The annual UWA Rodeo Showdown is scheduled for Sept. 28-30 at the Don C. Hines Rodeo Complex.