MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin rodeo teams are sitting among the top 30 teams in the nation on the eve of the championship short round at the College National Finals Rodeo at the Casper (Wyo.) Special Events Center.

Head coach John Luthi says his teams can move up because there are a lot of points available in the short round. The short round features the top 12 in each event after three rounds.

UT Martin's Heather Moore will be the lone cowgirl up tomorrow night in the barrel racing. Moore finished seventh in the average with a total time of 43:78.

Molly Alexander finished 14th in the barrel race average after turning in a 14.83 in the third go tonight.

The UT Martin women, currently 24th in the team standings, will rely on Moore in the barrel racing short round.

On the men's side, UT Martin is 27th, but has three cowboys coming back in the short round. Cory Kirk will work the tie-down roping. He finished 12th in the average with a total time of 44.0.

Josh Chase will work the bareback riding. He was ninth in the average with 216 points on three.

Jeff Askey will work the bull riding. Askey finished sixth in the average with 159.5 points on two rides. Askey, who finished fifth in last year's bull riding average, won this year's first go with an 86.5-point ride.

"There is a lot that can happen," Luthi said. "We have to go out and take care of business because there are a lot of points out there and we can move up."



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