UVU rodeo team ready to begin spring rodeos

UVU’s rodeo team may not be well known on campus, but they are definitely full of talent.

The rodeo team is the oldest team on our campus, which began in 1968. Of the 41 years of the team’s existence, according to Shane Draper, who leads the team, “[The] team has made it to nationals several times and in the last two years has placed in the top five in the nation.”

This year, the team consists of 24 athletes ranging anywhere from freshmen to seniors. They have both men and women that compete at rodeos all over.

With the winter semester just beginning, Draper says, “We picked up our practices in the middle of January so everyone is practiced up and ready for spring rodeos to start back up.”

Currently both the men and women’s teams have good standing and have done very well this year. “Right now our men’s team is sitting second in the region and eleventh in the nation and our women’s team is sitting fourth in the region,” Draper added.

With spring rodeos approaching, Draper is very confident that the team will perform well and go far. “I feel that we have a very good chance of both our men’s and women’s teams going to nationals this year,” added Draper.