MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin rodeo team finished ninth in the 2009 College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyo. this past week. UT Martin finished with 375 points. Western Texas College claimed the title with 820 points.

"They knew we were here for awhile," said John Luthi, UT Martin's head rodeo coach.

UT Martin entered the championship short round with 315 points and two bull riders, Jeff Askey and Brent Menz, among the top 12. Both Askey and Menz did not have a score in the short round.
Askey, from Beech Creek, Pa., finished fifth in the nation. He won the first round with an 83-point ride and was second in the second round with an 82-point ride. He did not score in the third round.

Menz, from Delta, Mo., did not score in the first round. He split third and fourth in the second round when he recorded an 80.5 ride. He did not score in the third round and finished tied for 10th in the nation.

"We just needed something to go right for us in the third round and in the short round," Luthi said.

In the bareback riding, UT Martin's Sheldon Rinkes finished 13th in the nation. He was tied for 12th going into the short round, but did not advance because of the tie-breaker. Rinkes turned in a 70.5 ride in the first round. Rinkes had a 71.5 ride in the second round and a 66.5 ride in the third round.

Matt Smith also worked the bareback event for UT Martin. He finished 20th in the nation. Smith had a 79.5 ride in the first round and a 76-point ride in the second round. He missed on his third round and did not advance to the championship short round.

Cory Kirk worked the tie-down roping and the steer wrestling for UT Martin. He finished 24th in the nation in tie-down roping. He turned in his best time, 12.6 seconds, in the second round. He was 31st in the steer wrestling. He turned in his best time, 4.5 seconds, in the first round.

Heather Moore was the lone woman to represent UT Martin at the CNFR. She finished 19th in the nation in barrel racing. She turned in her best time in the third round when she had a 14.54 run.

UT Martin has advanced to the CNFR for the past 12 years under the direction of head coach John Luthi. The team enjoyed its best finish at the CNFR last year when it claimed third in the nation. The team has also finished among the top 10 teams in the nation three out of the past four years.

#UT MARTIN#