ALVA, Okla. – Goat-tier Karley Kile seems quite ready to have a solid junior season for the Northwestern Oklahoma State University rodeo team.
Kile, of Topeka, Kan., scored solidly, posting a two-run cumulative time of 14.4 seconds to win the Colby (Kan.) Community College rodeo last weekend. She was one of four Rangers women to earn a spot in the championship round, and she was the top performer from the squad.
Kile is one of three returning cowgirls who qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo this past June, joining all-around talent Micah Samples of Abilene, Kan., and goat-tier Trisha Price of Faith, S.D. Kile had the best showing in Casper, Wyo., in June, finishing fifth overall with a cumulative time of 27.2 seconds on four runs.
How solid was she in Colby? Her aggregate time was a second and a half faster than the second-place cowgirl, Kaylee Moyer of Southwestern Oklahoma State University. Kile was joined breakaway ropers Kelsey Pontius of Watsontown, Pa., and Chelsea Bryant of Hope, Kan., and barrel racer Samples as short-round qualifiers.
“Karley stood out for us this last weekend,” said Stockton Graves, Northwestern’s rodeo coach. “I think we got a good feel for what it’s going to take this season.”
The Northwestern women finished with 185 points, strong enough to finish third in the team standings. The men’s team, with 190 points, placed fourth.
“I was hoping we’d have more guys in the short round, but this is a good learning process for them,” Graves said. “I think they see what it’s going to take to win.”
The Rangers men were led by senior Ryan Domer of Topeka. He posted a two-run cumulative time of 20.5 seconds to finish third in tie-down roping. That was a big plus when it came down to accumulating team points.
Domer was joined in the short round by steer wrestler Stephen Culling, a junior from Fort St. John, British Columbia, and team roping heeler Chase Boekhaus, a senior from Rolla, Kan. Culling posted two runs in an aggregate of 10.7 seconds to finish fourth overall, while Boekhaus, roping with Southeastern Oklahoma State University header Ethan Fox, posted a two-run cumulative of 30.9 seconds to finish fifth.
The Rangers return to the arena for the Pratt (Kan.) Community College rodeo, scheduled for Oct. 4-6. Other than the home event, which takes place Oct. 31-Nov. 2, the Pratt rodeo is the closest event to Alva for the team.
“We’ve basically got a week to get everything set up for Pratt, but I’m expecting some good things,” Graves said. “It’s always been a good rodeo for us.”