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American Press
2 hours ago
- Sport
- American Press
Little Rock 'walks' all over LSU to force must-win Monday game
Sunday's Game —Little Rock 10, LSU 4 Monday's Game (8 p.m. / ESPN2) — Little Rock vs. LSU LSU coach Jay Johnson was confident he had plenty of options for the NCAA regional's championship round after burning his co-ace starting pitchers to win the first two games. The options are still there — and maybe Johnson can find one who can throw a strike. But the Tigers, who dominated those first two regional games without allowing a run, are fresh out of wiggle room after struggling to find the plate Sunday night in a gift-wrapped 10-4 loss to Arkansas-Little Rock. It sets up a regional winner-take-all game Monday between the Tigers, the No. 6 national seed, and the tournament's latest and perhaps most unlikely Cinderella story. 'We've done a good job all year of bouncing back after a tough game, individually and collectively,' Johnson said. 'It gives me great confidence. 'Less than 24 hours ago, we probably played the cleanest and best brand of baseball that you could possibly play at this level. So I'm excited to see them do that tomorrow.' Throwing strikes would be a start. The Trojans, now 27-33, but still the only team in the NCAA tournament with a losing record, won their third straight game in Baton Rouge since falling to LSU 7-0 in the regional opener Friday night. The latest was a walk in The Box. The Tigers used five different pitchers to issue a season-high 11 walks. It didn't matter that LSU out-hit the Trojans 11-8. Eight of the Trojans' 10 runs reached base via walks, the last one, perhaps fittingly, scoring on the last of the Tigers' four wild pitches. 'Our game tonight kind of speaks for itself where it got away from us,' Johnson said. 'We'll leave it here tonight, turn all our focus to tomorrow and find a way to play great.' The Tigers' hitters won't be doing much finger-pointing. After taking a 3-0 lead in the first, the Tigers had only one base runner over the final four inning — briefly before he was erased by a double play. But LSU stranded 11 over the first five innings, seven of them in scoring position. The Tigers left the bases loaded without scoring in both the third and fourth innings. 'Credit them,' Johnson said of the four pitchers Little Rock pieced together for the nine innings. 'I thought they executed a few good pitches at key times and we … trying to do too much is not a good plan.' Regardless of who wins Monday, Trojan first baseman Angel Canon pretty well wrapped up the regional MVP award. He hit a 2-run homer and a 3-run double against LSU, giving him three bombs, three doubles and 14 RBIs in the Trojans' three wins. The Tigers set the table for him. LSU starter Jaden Noot walked a man just before Cano's home run in the second and Chase Shores walked the first three batters of the third inning before Cano cleared the bases with a double. Somehow LSU stayed within striking distance until the Trojans put it away with four runs in the eighth— all four reaching by walks, three of them scoring before the only hit of the inning. It was LSU's first-ever loss at home to a regional No. 4 seed. They're now 19-1 since the current format began in 1999. Little Rock has done this before. The Trojans needed a tie-breaker just to make the eight-team field of the of the Ohio Valley Conference tournament, then won five games in four days to claim a bid to the NCAA tournament. They bounced back from Friday's loss to LSU to beat Rhode Island on Saturday and took down Dallas Baptist earlier Sunday afternoon to get another shot at the Tigers. 'They're a hot team,' Johnson said. 'They've been playing well for the past two weeks. You give a team that's playing well more opportunities, you put yourself in a tough spot. 'Just like everybody else, I would have rather won tonight and wrapped it up. We didn't and that's because the opponent did a great job. I just think about the opportunity for tomorrow.'
American Press
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- American Press
Battle in the Bluff: Tug of War ‘celebration of strength and competitive spirit'
G.I. Joe's Gym founder and owner Joe Gentry. The Moss Bluff business has been open since January. (Special to the American Press) A strong competitive spirit — when channeled positively — can lead to personal and professional growth, improved performance and enhanced resilience. It can also motivate individuals to strive for excellence, embrace challenges and learn from setbacks. That's the thought behind the inaugural Battle in the Bluff: Tug of War Competition — the brainchild of Joe Gentry, founder and owner of G.I. Joe's Gym in Moss Bluff. 'My intention for Battle in the Bluff has always been to show off the competitive edge of people who love to work out, love to compete and it doesn't contain a ball,' Gentry said. 'Ultimately, people of all ages can do it. It's a way to bring competitive people with like-minded competitive spirits and team building to our area.' Gentry said the event will be set up in such a way that resembles the Roman Colosseum — spectators on bleachers will circle the stage where the participants compete and outside the 'arena' will be food trucks, games, vendors, a DJ and sound stage, and a backdrop of military vehicles. Lake Charles Police Department SWAT officers will also give demonstrations with their new robot dog. 'We have lots of military and law enforcement coming from all over to compete in this and the intent is we want people to get that competitive drive again,' Gentry said. 'We are trying to build that competitive spirit up from young ages to where fitness becomes a part of their lives.' The event is family-friendly with no alcohol allowed. 'This is strictly a fun, engaging event where parents can get their kids out of the house and go get them on the other end of a rope and pull against some other kids and build that competitive spirit,' he said. Gentry said some people tend to be too afraid to try new things for fear of failure. Battle in the Bluff could change that. 'When you fail individually it feels different than failing as a team,' he said. 'Winning as a team and failing as a team is completely different than individual failures. We want kids to be part of a team environment and we want them to win or lose as a team. It's about the people around you, not about yourself.' Derick Franus, a certified personal trainer and nutritionist at G.I. Joe's Gym, said there will be five slots on each team. If individuals come alone they can be assigned to 'plugger teams.' 'Honestly those will probably be the ones who come away with a best friend from this,' Franus said. 'Everyone shows up, everyone goes through the struggle together. Win, lose or draw, you went through something with somebody. That's what we want it to be.' Franus said the day will feature 'physical-based play rather than tablet-based play.' 'We'll have the impossible mile. We'll outline a little track and we'll see who can survive doing lunges all around or burpee broad jumps. The 'coliseum' will be hosting the strength side of things but we want to showcase all of fitness.' Gentry and Franus are both former military members. 'I enlisted in the Army National Guard and was called into active duty for Operation Iraqi Freedom III,' Gentry said. 'I served two years on active duty in Iraq at the beginning of the war. I was an infantry solider right after the invasion.' He was also in Baghdad when Iraq held its first free national election in decades on Jan. 30, 2005. 'I watched them walk out with their blue thumbs after voting,' he said proudly. A staff sergeant, Gentry helped lead teams and troops into combat. 'When you're in a combat zone, the private is more important than a lieutenant sometimes,' he said. 'When a private walks up and says he sees something in the window, you listen. If a lieutenant is telling you to go in but the private is telling you there is a guy with a gun, you re-evaluate your decisions. That's how important camaraderie is and the brotherhood is. You listen to the smallest, youngest, least-ranked person just as much as you listen to the lieutenant giving orders.' Though his service is over, Gentry said he will remain a soldier for life. 'You carry that with you, everyday,' he said. 'Every single day.' Still in touch with his 'brotherhood,' Gentry said there is nothing that can replace the feeling of a buddy having your back in a combat environment. 'There's no words,' he said. 'We're all trying not to die and we do everything we possibly can to watch each others' backs so that doesn't happen.' Franus is a former firefighter and trained combat medic. Both said they hope Battle in the Bluff will help participants build a similar camaraderie with their teammates. 'Failure has a lot to do with people getting better in life,' Gentry said. 'If you don't face failure, then it's going to be a very rough life. The younger that we can start kids in that competitive spirit and learning it's not about them, it's about the team the better off our society will be.' Egos must be pushed aside. 'The right tackle is just as important as the quarterback,' Gentry said. 'If a right tackle thinks he should be the quarterback and not the right tackle, then things are going to go wrong.' Battle in the Bluff is open to middle school-aged children and up. There will divisions for students, businesses, law enforcement and military, and weight class. Participants will compete against like-minded, equally sized people, Franus assured. It's free for all teams to enter and each team has the chance to win $500 for each competition. There will also be an award for best costume. Battle in the Bluff is set for June 14 at the Moss Bluff Soccer Complex at 256 Jones Road behind Rouse's supermarket. Team weigh-ins are at 9 a.m. and the competition will kick off at 11 a.m. Teams can register now at Vendors can set up the night before. There are no fees to be a vendor. 'There's plenty of festivals and fairs that you can go to where it's all about food or it's all about alcohol; it's a good time but it's more or less not building anything up,' Franus said. 'What we're trying to do is a celebration of strength and the competitive spirit.' There will be face painting, bounce houses, a miniature tug of war, water slides and an inflatable ax throw for children attending. There will be an admission fee of $10 per person. A portion of all the proceeds will go to the Southwest Louisiana Veterans Association. 'We just hope this catches on where people are not intimidated to come out and compete,' Gentry said. 'The gym is more than just a mental outlet and a physical outlet. It really is something families can be part of.'
American Press
a day ago
- Sport
- American Press
LSU one win from regional title after another shut out
Saturday's Games LSU 12, Dallas Baptist 0 Arkansas-Little Rock 22, Rhode Island 10 Sunday's Schedule 2 p.m. — (elimination game) — Arkansas-Little Rock vs. Dallas-Baptist. 8 p.m. — LSU vs. winner of first game. LSU is making this look way too easy. The Tigers won their second straight game of the Baton Rouge NCAA regional Saturday night, 11-0 over Dallas Baptist. It was the usual dominant performance from lefthander Kade Anderson and some unusual offense that seemed to be running down a creative check list of interesting ways to score. 'We played outstanding baseball tonight,' LSU coach Jay Johnson said. 'Obviously it starts and ends on the mound.' The Tigers still haven't allowed a run in the 18 innings of regional play and, after not scoring in their final 15 innings of last week's SEC tournament, have gotten runs in 11 of their 16 at-bats this weekend. Ethan Frey, who started the scoring with an RBI double in the first inning, also provided the most entertaining moment in the smorgasbord of runs scored. The game was long decided by then, but he led off the eighth with a 'Little League home run.' It was officially ruled a triple that doinked off the top of the centerfield wall, but when it was mishandled by the outfielder, the 6-foot-6, 225-pound Frey never slowed down and circled the bases to score on his own hit. The Tigers (45-14) advance to the regional finals where they'll need one more victory, with two chances to get it, to advance to the super regionals. 'We're in a good mindset,' Johnson said of the Tigers' 12th consecutive trip to a regional final, the longest streak in the nation. 'You can get to the postseason (and) a lot of times you hear stuff about 'one more,' finishing the job. That's not my mantra. My mantra is show up and enjoy competing.' LSU will play at 8 p.m. Sunday against the winner of a 2 p.m. elimination game between DBU and Arkansas-Little Rock, which bounced back from its 7-0 Friday night loss to LSU to hammer Rhode Island 22-10. An LSU loss Sunday would force a Monday game between the same two teams, winner take all. It would probably be too much to ask for another shut out as there's a drop-off between the co-aces who have blanked the regional thus far. Johnson wouldn't say who will be on the mound Sunday. The deep starts, however, have left virtually the entire bullpen available for the rest of the regional. 'We have a lot of options,' Johnson said. 'We put ourselves in a really good spot going into tomorrow with some guys that are throwing the ball really, really well. 'We'll let that (earlier) game finish tomorrow and then see where we got from there.' More of the same would probably work fine. 'As a starting pitcher your goal is to save the bullpen as much as you can for the next game,' Anderson said. 'We've got too many pitchers and not enough innings tomorrow. We're in a really good situation and I couldn't be more excited to watch them pitch.' The versatile Tigers scored early and often — and just about every way imaginable — against a former teammate as DBU started LSU transfer Micah Buc. He lasted only 2.2 innings while giving up six runs. Six of LSU's first nine runs came with two outs. Most of it was overkill as Anderson (9-1) blanked the Patriots on four hits for his seven innings. His 11 strike outs gave him the national lead with 156. 'Kade, as Kade has been all year was the best pitcher on the planet tonight and executed on a high level,' Johnson said. 'Defense continued to support him.' LSU got two runs rather routinely on Frey's 2-strike, 2-run double in the first. Then it got interesting. It included Chris Stanfield's first home run in the second inning, the first of three RBIs on a 3-for-4 night for the Tigers' No. 9 hitter. Small ball? The Tigers scored three in third, starting with a safety squeeze bunt by catcher Luis Hernandez that scored Steven Milam followed by RBI singles from Stanfield and Derek Curiel. By the sixth, it was almost showing off when Steven Milam crossed the plate on the tail end of a double-steal where both he and Hernandez were safe. Frey's eighth-inning 'round-tripper' was just icing on the cake. 'That was a really good offensive performance tonight,' Johnson said. 'Getting lead-off guys on, executing the bunting game, running bases smart and aggressive, clutch hitting, two-out hard and low line drives … that's a lot of what the blueprint looks like.' The Baton Rouge regional winner will play the survivor of the Clemson regional in a best-two-of-three super regional with a trip to the College World Series on the line. Host Clemson fell into the loser's bracket there with a loss to West Virginia. Saturday, but if LSU advances, it would host the super regional regardless of which team survives. The whole NCAA tournament got a lot more interesting Saturday when the top two overall seeds lost to fall into the losers' brackets at their regionals, now needing to win three straight to advance. No. 1 Vanderbilt lost to Louisville 3-2 and No. 2 Texas fell to UT-San Antonio 9-7. There was no such drama in Baton Rouge. .
American Press
a day ago
- Sport
- American Press
Lavergne brothers leave state rodeo as champions
The Louisiana High School Finals Rodeo ended just the way the Lavergne brothers wanted: as state champions. Wyatt Lavergne, a senior, won his fourth consecutive saddle bronc riding state title, while Ty Lavergne, a sophomore, won his first state championship in bull riding. 'Dreams ended up coming true,' Wyatt said. 'I was rooting for my brother more than anybody, more than myself. 'I feel more accomplished for him winning than I do myself.' While the elder Lavergne wrapped up his title on Friday, Ty Lavergne's came down to his final ride Saturday evening in the short-go at Burton Coliseum. He just needed an eight-second ride. He was initially bucked off but was awarded re-ride after the bull made contact with the chute as he came out. Despite having to wait a while for another bull to be brought into the arena, Ty Lavergne scored 68 points on the re-ride. 'I felt relieved, and it kind of put a little bit more pressure on me,' Ty said. 'I had to wait so long for it. I was glad that I got another chance to win it.' Ty Lavergne also won the average title with 219 points over three eight-second rides. He beat defending state champ Brennan Polito (Epic Charter) 126.4 to 102.25. 'It is a big relief, Ty Lavergne said. 'My buddy Brandon Polito was right on my tail the whole season. I just feel relieved to finally win it, especially with my brother.' Wyatt Lavergne's win in the second-go round on Friday was enough to earn him his fourth state title, and he wrapped up his fourth consecutive average title with a 73-point ride on Saturday. In 12 rounds at the state rodeo, he has scored 70 or more points nine times. 'I would say it is a weight off my shoulders,' Wyatt Lavergne said. 'I just came in here like I was losing, like I was last, and I just let it all hang out. I didn't have anything to lose, and so, it's a big accomplishment. Pretty proud of myself.' Barbe's Ella Kay won a second consecutive round Saturday on her way to defending her goat tying state championship. 'It's awesome, you know, I give all the glory to God and just thank him that I'm able to do this,' Kay said. She won the short-go round Saturday with her fastest time of the weekend at 7.12 seconds. She opened the LHSFR on Thursday with a 13.79-second run but bounced back on Friday with a time of 7.42 seconds. 'I was kind of nervous,' Kay said about her first-go round performance. 'I was just trying to go out there and be fast, and I just messed up.' 'I felt great (in the short-go round). My horse worked great, I did great, and I just thank God.' The top four in each event qualify for the National High School Finals Rodeo at the Sweetwater Events Complex in Rock Springs, Wyoming, July 13-19. Louisiana High School Finals Rodeo Short-go round results At Burton Coliseum Bull riding 1, Carter Shaw 85 2, Ty Lavergne 68 2, Luke Simon 68 Saddle bronco riding 1, Wyatt Lavergne 73 2, Austin James 38 Bareback riding 1, Ethan Parrott 64 Steer wrestling 1, Cain Martin 7.71 2, Cale Carpenter 8.89 3, Grady Ellis 10.43 4, Noah Weeks 11.55 5, Turbo Baxter 14.57 6, William Gunter 16.34 7, Luke Savant 17.40 Tie down roping 1, Cruz Melanson 8.46 2, Colten Esthay 9.01 3, Cougar Racca 9.55 4, Braxton Guillot 10.09 5, Gentry Silver 10.62 6, Carter Primeaux 10.69 7, Cooper Gallet 12.33 8, Colton Summers 13.56 9, Jayden Nunez 18.00 10, Trever Trahan 18.40 Team roping 1, Grant Engel/Skinner Wilkinson 5.15 2, Teddie Guynn/Wyatt Sonnier 6.79 3, Bill Odell/Tucker Wright 7.73 4, Shadd Huffman/Wayburn Chandler 9.99 5, Cole Steib/Kayson Lasyone 12.96 6, Hayden Walker/Grant Boudreaux 13.35 7, Cooper Broussard/Hudson Mudd 17.69 8, H.D. Willis/Carter Perry 22.28 9, Kensley Mudge/Wyatt DeMoss 33.75 Breakaway roping 1, Caroline Fontenot 2.10 2, Emma Nunez 2.30 3, Alex Poole 2.48 4, Jillian Fontenot 2.50 5, Keylee Izard 2.74 6, Addison Rains 3.00 7, Kensley Mudge 3.17 8, Saige Martin 3.47 9, Ava Nunez 12.07 Goat tying 1, Ella Kay 7.12 2, Brantlee Colbert 7.70 3, Kynnedy Nunn 8.07 4, Addison Rains 8.16 5, Abbey Anderson 8.96 6, Abbie Savant 9.86 7, Rylee Jo Maryman 10.13 8, Lauren Williams 10.20 9, Makayla Stelly 11.41 10, Katie Abshire 13.81 Pole Bending 1, Kodi Miller 20.280 2, Gemi Robinson 20.521 3, Rylee Jo Maryman 20.594 4, Addison Rains 20.680 5, Stella Aucoin 20.995 6, Ava Nunez 21.021 7, Logan Krieg 21.104 8, Emma Nunez 21.451 9, Abbey Anderson 21.606 10, Jossy Gantt 25.847 Barrel racing 1, Kynnedy Nunn 15.117 2, Gemi Robinson 15.229 3, Rylee Jo Maryman 15.304 4, Ava Nunez 15.323 5, Abbey Anderson 15.332 6, Logan Krieg 15.383 7, Kanley Cooper 15.404 8, Addison Rains 15.495 9, Jasey Gantt 15.535 10, Stella Aucoin 15.943 Louisiana High School Finals Rodeo At Burton Coliseum Standings after short-go round, Saturday, May 31, 2025 All-Around Cowboy Pl., Athlete, School Pts. 1, Braxton Guillot, La. Virtual Charter 142.0 2, Turbo Baxter, Slaughter Comm. 133.5 3, Cruz Melanson, Vinton 130.2 4, Kayson Lasyone 103.0 5, Jayden Nunez, S. Cameron 98.8 Rookie All-Around Cowboy Pl., Athlete, School Pts. 1, Cole Steib, Catholic-PC 127.8 2, Cain Martin, Sulphur 64.4 3, Skinner Wilkinson, Home School 60.8 All-Around Cowgirl Pl., Athlete, School Pts. 1, Abbey Anderson, Shepherd 292.25 2, Rylee Jo Maryman, Univ. View 257.3 3, Addison Rains, Magnolia Bend 238.4 Rookie All-Around Cowgirl Pl., Athlete, School Pts. 1, Addison Rains, Magnolia Bend 238.4 2, Kinley Walker, Home School 96.6 Bareback riding Pl., Athlete, School Pts. 1, *#Bryer Prince, Sulphur 113.0 2, Fisher Burnworth, Home School 63.8 3, %Ethan Parrott, Darbonne Woods 49.0 (123/2) Barrell racing Pl., Athlete, School Pts. 1, *#%Rylee Jo Maryman, Univ. View 116.5 (45.387/3) 2, Abbey Anderson, Shepherd 102.4 4, Gemi Robinson, Magnolia Bend 86.5 3, Ava Nunez, Bell City 82.2 5, Kynnedy Nunn, Welsh 62.5 Saddle bronc riding Pl., Athlete, School Pts. 1, *#%Wyatt Lavergne, DeQuincy 119.0 (148/2) 2, Austin James, Rosepine 71.7 3, Zach Reeves, Sulphur 64.0 4, Brant Schexnider, Kaplan 26.9 Tie down roping Pl., Athlete, School Pts. 1, #Braxton Guillot, La. Virtual Ch. 115.0 2, %Cruz Melanson, Vinton 110.2 (26.12/3) 3, Cougar Racca, Bell City 86.0 4, Gentry Silver, Bell City 73.1 5, Carter Primeaux, Erath 72.3 Breakaway roping Pl., Athlete, School Pts. 1, #Kensley Mudge, Magnolia Bend 56.0 2, Caroline Fontenot, Beau Chene 53.5 3, %Alex Poole, Bell City 51.35 (7.28/3) 4, Emma Nunez, Bell City 50.3 5, Faith Dubois, Home School 49.8 Steer wrestling Pl., Athlete, School Pts. 1, #Turbo Baxter, Slaughter 119.5 2, William Gunter, Sulphur 86.6 3, Kyler Landry, Ascension Cath. 73.5 4, %Cain Martin, Sulphur 64.4 (19.93/3) 5, Noah Weeks, Magnolia Bend 52.5 Goat tying Pl., Athlete, School Pts. 1, *#Ella Kay, Barbe 128.4 2, Abbey Anderson, Sheperd 97.8 3, Abbie Savant, Home School 89.1 4, Rylee Jo Maryman, Univ. View 86.6 5, Sage Raymond, Briarfield Acad. 85.8 9, %Kynnedy Nunn, Welsh 63.3 (25.57/3) Team roping Pl., Athlete, School Pts. 1, *#Kayson Lasyone, Magnolia Bend 175.0 #Cole Steib, Catholic-PC 2, Carter Perry, Cedar Creek 135.2 H.D. Willis, Home School 3, %Teddie Austin Guynn, Home School 132.6 (23.21/3) %Wyatt Sonnier, Welsh 4, Grant Engel, Jeff Davis Home School 121.8 Skinner Wilkinson, Home School 5, Carter Huffman, Jena 116.6 Andrew Paul, Jena Pole bending Pl., Athlete, School Pts. 1, *#Kodi Miller, Simpson 121.1 2, Gemi Robinson, Magnolia Bend 110.2 3, %Addison Rains, Magnolia Bend 99.4 (61.912/3) 4, Kenzie King, Jeff Davis Home School 62.4 5, Abbey Anderson, Sheperd 59.2 Bull riding Pl., Athlete, School Pts. 1, #%Ty Lavergne, DeQuincy 126.4 (219/3) 2, *Brennan Polito, Epic Charter 102.25 3, Carter Shaw, Magnolia Bend 85.3 4, Luke Simon, Notre Dame 61.55 5, Briggs Cooley, Christ Bridge 52.7 *2024 state champ #2025 state champion %2025 average champion
American Press
2 days ago
- Sport
- American Press
Ella Kay defends goat tying title, Ty Lavernge closing in on first bull riding title
Barbe's Ella Kay gets ready to tie a goat during the first-go round on Thursday at the Louisiana High School Finals Rodeo at Burton Coliseum. (Rodrick Anderson / American Press) Barbe Ella Kay secured her second consecutive goat tying state championship on Friday, and DeQuincy's Ty Lavergne is close to winning his first bull riding title today at the Louisiana High School Finals Rodeo at Burton Coliseum. The short-go round starts at 5 p.m. After not scoring any points in the first-go round Thursday (13.79 seconds), Kay bounced back to win the second-go round on Friday with a 7.42-second run. The nine points for the win put her at 111 and over the 21-point lead threshold needed to keep Sage Raymond (Briarfield Academy, 85.8) and Abbey Anderson (Shepherd HS, Texas, 82.8) from catching up with her today in the short-go round. Lavergne's path to his first bull riding state championship is simple: stay on for eight seconds in today's round. He leads defending champion Brennan Polito (Epic Charter) by 12.9 points, 106.75-93.85. A scoring ride plus at least a seventh-place finish in the average standings will give Lavergne the 8.2 points he needs to hold off Polito. The pair tied for second in the first-go round with 73-point rounds. Lavergne was second in the second-go round on Friday with a 78-point ride, while Carter Shaw (Magnolia Bend) won the round at 79, and Polito was third with a 66. Lavergne currently leads the average title race with 151 points. Three cowboys have already secured state championships. Wyatt Lavergne won his fourth consecutive saddle bronco state championship, while Bryer Prince (Sulphur) won three in a row in bareback riding. Turbo Baxter (Slaughter Community Charter) is the steer wrestling state champ. The top four in each event qualify for the National High School Finals Rodeo at the Sweetwater Events Complex in Rock Springs, Wyoming, July 13-19. Here is a look at how the other events at the LHSFR are shaping up: Barrel racing Defending champion Rylee Jo Maryman (University View Academy) leads Abbey Anderson (Shepherd HS, Texas) in a tight race by 9.9 points, 97.3 to 87.4, for the barrel racing state title. Maryman needs a combination of 11.2 points between the short-go and points from her placing in the average standings to secure the state title. She placed in the top four in the first two rounds, including the top time on Thursday at 14.935 seconds, the only sub 15-second round. Maryman (30.083 seconds) leads the average standings by .316 seconds. Tie down roping Cruz Melanson (Vinton) and Cougar Racca (Bell City) cut into Braxton Guillot's (La. Virtual Charter) lead on Friday in tie down roping. Racca won the second-go round with a time of 8.85 seconds, while Melanson was second at 9.09 seconds. Racca (17.26) and Melanson (17.66) are one-two in the average standings, putting the pressure on Guillot. Guillot's magic number is 11.2 points to win his first tie down roping state championship. Breakaway roping The most contested event of the week is breakaway roping. Seven cowgirls are within 10 points of leader Kensley Mudge (Magnolia Bend), who has 42.8 points. Faith Dubois (Home School) is just .2 points off the lead, and Jillian Fontenot (Beau Chene) is 1.8 points back at 41. Mudge has no margin for error as she essentially needs to win the short-go round and the average. Dubois is currently the leader for the 12 points that go with the average title at 4.65 seconds on two runs, giving her a strong chance of overtaking Mudge (8.16 seconds) Team roping A fourth-place finish today in the short-go round will be enough for Cole Steib (Catholic-Point Coupee) and Kayson Lasyone (Magnolia Bend) to win the team roping title regardless of the outcome of the average standings. Steib and Lasyone, the defending champion, have 147.4 points, while Carter Perry (Cedar Creek) and H.D. Willis (Home School) are currently second at 117.8 points. Steib and Lasyone had the second-best time in the second-go round Friday at 8.03 seconds, while Braxton Guillot and Johnny Price won with a time of 7.65 seconds. Pole bending Kodi Miller (Simpson) is on the verge of winning her second consecutive pole bending state championship. Despite placing ninth (21.330 seconds) in the second-go round on Friday, Miller is still in the lead and needs 9.9 points to wrap up another state title. Gemi Robinson (Magnolia Bend) is second at 91.3 points. Addison Krieg had the best second-go time at 20.165 seconds. Louisiana High School Finals Rodeo Standings after second-go round All-Around Cowboy 1, Braxton Guillot, La. Virtual Charter 126.10 2, Turbo Baxter, Slaughter Comm. 117.30 3, Cruz Melanson, Vinton 109.20 4, Jayden Nunez, S. Cameron 97.00 5, H.D. Willis, Home School 89.90 Rookie All-Around Cowboy 1, Cole Steib, Catholic-PC 114.00 2, Cain Martin, Sulphur 43.40 3, Skinner Wilkinson, Home School 41.10 All-Around Cowgirl 1, Abbey Anderson, Shepherd 254.45 2, Rylee Jo Maryman, Univ. View 217.70 3, Addison Rains, Magnolia Bend 197.00 Rookie All-Around Cowgirl 1, Addison Rains, Magnolia Bend 197.00 2, Kinley Walker, Home School 96.70 Bareback riding 1, *#Bryer Prince, Home School 102.2 2, Fisher Burnworth, Home School 54.2 3, Ethan Parrott, Darbonne Woods 28.0 Barrell racing 1, *Rylee Jo Maryman, Univ. View 97.3 2, Abbey Anderson, Shepherd 87.4 4, Gemi Robinson, Magnolia Bend 70.0 3, Ava Nunez, Bell City 69.9 5, Kynnedy Nunn, Welsh 51.1 Saddle bronc riding 1, *#Wyatt Lavergne, DeQuincy 98.0 2, Austin James, Rosepine 54.0 3, Brant Schexnider, xxx 16.1 Tie down roping 1, Braxton Guillot, La. Virtual Ch. 99.1 2, Cruz Melanson, Carol Acad. 89.2 3, Cougar Racca, Bell City 68.0 4, Carter Primeaux, Erath 64.2 5, Gentry Silver, Bell City 59.3 Breakaway roping 1, Kensley Mudge, Magnolia Bend 42.8 2, Faith Dubois, Home School 42.6 3, Jillian Fontenot, Beau Chene 41.0 4, Caroline Fontenot, Beau Chene 36.1 5, Saige Martin, Sulphur 36.0 Steer wrestling 1, #Turbo Baxter, Slaughter 103.3 2, William Gunter, Sulphur 73.7 3, Kyler Landry, Ascension Cath. 71.1 4, Noah Weeks, Magnolia Bend 45.0 5, Jayden Nunez, S. Cameron 44.0 Goat tying 1, *Ella Kay, Barbe 111.0 2, Sage Raymond, Briarfield Acad. 85.8 3, Abbey Anderson, Sheperd 82.8 4, Abbie Savant, Home School 79.8 5, Rylee Jo Maryman, Univ. View 75.8 Team roping 1, *Kayson Lasyone, Magnolia Bend 147.4 Cole Steib, Catholic-PC 2, Carter Perry, Cedar Creek 117.8 H.D. Willis, Home School 3, Carter Huffman, Jena 109.4 Andrew Paul, Jena 4, Teddie Austin Guynn, Home School 92.4 Wyatt Sonnier, Welsh 5, Grant Engel, Jeff Davis Home School 82.2 Skinner Wilkinson, Home School Pole bending 1, *Kodi Miller, Simpson 102.5 2, Gemi Robinson, Magnolia Bend 91.3 3, Addison Rains, Magnolia Bend 81.1 4, Kenzie King, Jeff Davis Home School 62.4 5, Abbey Anderson, Sheperd 51.4 Bull riding 1, Ty Lavergne, DeQuincy 106.75 2, *Brennan Polito, Epic Charter 93.85 3, Carter Shaw, Magnolia Bend 65.5 4, Briggs Cooley, Christ Bridge 45.5 5, Luke Simon, Notre Dame 44.3 *Defending state champ #2025 state champion Louisiana High School Finals Rodeo At Burton Coliseum Results from the second-go round on Friday, May 30 Bareback riding 1, Bryer Prince 69 2, Fisher Burnworth 55 Barrel racing 1, Abbye Anderson 15.053 2, Kanely Cooper 15.066 3, Gremi Robinson 15.145 4, Rylee Jo Maryman 15.148 5, Addison Krieg 15.153 6, Ava Nunez 15.203 7, Kynnedy Nunn 15.374 8, Kenzie King 15.432 9, Logan Krieg 15.441 10, Addison Rains 15.469 Saddle bronc riding 1, Wyatt Lavergne 75 2, Brant Schexnider 44 Tie down roping 1, Cougar Racca 8.85 2, Cruz Melanson 9.09 3, K.J. Rideaux 9.66 4, Kyler Landry 10.87 5, Colt Guillot 11.02 6, Brennan Aucoin 12.42 7, Austin James 12.48 8, Braxton Guillot 12.53 9, Colton Summers 12.72 10, Tyler Lavergne 13.00 Breakaway roping 1, Steeley Franklin 1.92 2, Faith Dubois 2.08 3, Reese Broussard 2.37 4, Abbey Anderson 2.45 4, Alex Poole 2.45 6, Emma Bain 2.78 7, Michelle Hesnor 2.84 8, Jenna Vincent 2.96 9, Kensley Mudge 3.03 10, Keylee Izard 3.20 Steer wrestling 1, Cain Martin 5.53 2, Turbo Baxter 6.20 3, Jadon Leonard 14.61 4, Kole Landry 18.17 5, William Gunter 25.80 6, Cale Carpenter 27.13 7, Kyler Landry 30.82 Goat tying 1, Ella Kay 7.42 2, Kynnedy Nunn 7.51 3, Brantlee Colbert 8.27 4, Abbie Savant 8.29 5, Lauren Williamson 8.32 6, Abbey Anderson 8.73 7, Sage Raymond 8.80 8, Rylee Jo Maryman 8.98 9, Katie Abshire 9.07 10, Jamie Kile 9.25 Team roping 1, Braxton Guillot/Johnny Payne 7.65 2, Cole Steib/Kayson Lasyone 8.03 3, Teddie Austin Guynn/Wyatt Sonnier 8.78 4, John Wade Hoffpauir/Trace Watkins 9.34 5, Hayden Walker/Grant Boudreaux 10.36 6, Bill Odell/Tucker Wright 11.69 7, Grant Engel/Skinner Wilkinson 12.02 8, Caleb Brister/Kaden Doughty 15.15 9, Hollis Davis/Brayson Manuel 15.47 10, H.D. Willis/Carter Perry 16.62 Pole bending 1, Addison Krieg 20.165 2, Addison Rains 20.463 3, Gemi Robinson 20.543 4, Stella Aucoin 20.564 5, Abbey Anderson 20.744 6, Brinna Jo Wagner 20.890 7, Rylee Jo Maryman 20.930 8, Jossy Gantt 21.108 9, Kodi Miller 21.330 10, Logan Krieg 21.379 Bull riding 1, Carter Shaw 79 2, Ty Lavergne 78 3, Brennan Polito 66
