DICKINSON, N.D. – Dickinson State University rodeo student-athletes delivered a strong showing at the annual Blue Hawk Stampede, held Sept. 26–27 at the Stark County Fairgrounds, with the DSU women's team claiming a second-place finish and standout individual performances propelling several Blue Hawks up the Great Plains Region leaderboard.
The DSU women tallied 180 points across the two-day event, finishing runner-up to Mid-Plains Community College (300 points) and edging Black Hills State (140) for second. On the men's side, the Blue Hawks placed fourth overall with 210 points behind Mid-Plains (1,245), Bismarck State (625), and Iowa Central (325).
Tayson Jones highlighted the weekend for the Blue Hawks, capturing the saddle bronc title with a combined score of 154.0 points on two rides and collected 180 team points on the weekend. The win marked his second event victory of the season and extended his lead atop the regional standings, where he currently sits No. 1 with 520 total points.
Jones wasn't the only Blue Hawk in the saddle bronc draw. Teammate Eli Higa also competed but did not record a score. Brody Froelich's season-long effort continues to position DSU with three riders in the top six in the event regionally.
Samantha Sabrosky continued her surge in breakaway roping, posting a first-place time of 5.6 seconds to earn 80 points toward the DSU team total. Sabrosky now ranks sixth in the region in the event with 155 points.
In barrel racing, Presley Powell clocked a 35.43 on two runs to earn a runner-up finish, adding 60 points for DSU. Molly Rotenberger added another 70 points with her second-place performance in goat tying (13.0 seconds), maintaining her position as the No. 2 goat tyer in the region with 304.5 points. Teammate Jenna Hume also scored in goat tying, finishing sixth in the event with a time of 14.8.
Freshman Brooke Nowak added a seventh-place finish in breakaway roping, contributing to a well-rounded showing by the women's team that kept them atop the region standings. As of Sept. 30, the DSU women lead the Great Plains Region with 941.75 points, ahead of Black Hills State (806) and Mid-Plains (770).
Following the Stampede, Dickinson State's women continue to lead the Great Plains Region with 941.75 points through five fall rodeos. The Blue Hawks hold a commanding advantage over second-place Black Hills State University (806.00) and third-place Mid-Plains Community College (770.00), thanks to consistent scoring across multiple events. DSU also boasts three athletes ranked in the top 10 regionally in goat tying and two in breakaway roping.
The men's team, currently fourth overall in the region with 1,187 total points, relied heavily on Jones' event win to earn points at the Stampede. Higa also contributed to DSU's season-long total in bull riding and team roping, where he ranks in the top 15 regionally in both events.
With a strong fall campaign so far, DSU continues to position itself as a contender on both the men's and women's sides entering the final rodeos of the fall season.
