Rangers Collier wins steer wrestling at Viking Stampede

Sophomore steer wrestler Will Collier was one of several highlights for the Northwest rodeo program in last weekend’s Viking Stampede, an event that served as the 2024-25 season-opener in the NIRA’s Ozark Region.

Collier, a native of Malden, Mo., earned 180 total points to capture first place in the steer wrestling event. He was one of several top finishers that helped Northwest finish second in the men’s standings, while the Lady Rangers earned fourth place.

Collier was one of five steer wrestlers to compete for Northwest last weekend, posting a 4.3 score in the first round and a 4.6 result in the short-go. Both rounds were good for 60 points and his 8.9 average earned him another 60 points.

Teammates Hank Burgess, Christian Cagle, Kent Jordan and Wyatt Newman also competed in steer wrestling, but neither finished in the top three. Newman finished with 75 total points, while Jordan earned 25 points.

Northwest also finished with a strong showing in bull riding, as Dakota Smith and Luke Stanley placed first and second, respectively. Smith finished with a score of 84 in the first round, followed by a result of 79 for Stanley. Neither competitor scored in the short-go round, but Smith ended the weekend with 60 points, while Stanley’s 50 points were good for second place over Pearl River’s Rowdy Weaver.

In calf-roping, Tate Williams placed third with 90 total points, after earning a 10.2 result in the second round. His average of 21.8 helped Williams finish with 90 points on the weekend, behind event-winner Stone Reeves’ 170 points (West Alabama) and runner-up Tanner Brown’s 120 points (West Alabama). Cagle and Burgess also competed in calf-roping, finishing with 65 and 60 points, respectively.

Sophomore Delaney Naifeh highlighted the Lady Rangers’ weekend, finishing second in goat tying with 110 total points. The Covington, Tenn. native finished just behind the 155 total points from event-winner Kate Brisbane (Missouri Valley College), earning a time of 7.9 in the first round and 8.5 in the short-go. Naifeh’s 16.4 average helped her earn 50 additional points.

Naifeh also competed in barrel racing, collecting 20 points after posting a first round time of 14.93 seconds.

For the weekend, the Northwest men totaled 495 points, placing second behind West Alabama’s 560 team points. The Rangers placed 10 points ahead of Missouri Valley College and well ahead of fellow in-state programs Pearl River and East Mississippi.

Meanwhile, the Lady Rangers totaled 130 points from Naifeh’s weekend performance, finishing fourth out of seven teams. Missouri Valley College finished atop the women’s team results, earning 370 points, followed by 255 from Southern Arkansas and 185 from UT-Martin. Much like the men’s team, Northwest also placed ahead of in-state program Pearl River, which compiled 70 points.

Next up for Northwest will be the UWA Rodeo Showdown in Livingston, Ala., scheduled for Sept. 26-28. The event is hosted by the University of West Alabama.