Dylan Hart, Logan Parr hoping for state title in team roping

By TRAVIS MESTER

The Daily Republic

A pair of Mitchell High School students has high expectations for this week’s South Dakota High School Rodeo State Finals.

Logan Parr and Dylan Hart, both of which finished their junior years at MHS last month, will compete together in the team roping competition in Belle Fourche. The event runs today through Sunday, but Parr and Hart will not compete in any events until Friday.

Parr and Hart, both 17 years old, have their first go-round in the team roping competition Friday night. They will have their second go-round Saturday morning and the top 15 teams will advance to Sunday’s short go-round final.

“We’re sitting pretty good right now,” said Hart, who also plays football and is on the track and field team for the Kernels. “We’re sitting in the top three in South Dakota.”

Hart and Parr enter the state finals event in a tie for the third-highest point total. Hart and Parr have amassed 27 points — out of 30 possible points — through two region rodeos. They won the average competition in Watertown and took first in one of the two go-rounds in Huron earlier this summer. The two also won the team roping competition at a high school rodeo in Flandreau earlier this summer, but that event did not count toward points for the state finals.

“We’re going in with 27 points and we’ll still gain points at state,” said Parr, who is on the MHS wrestling team during the school year. “If we win Friday night or Saturday, and the people that are ahead of us don’t do so good, we’ll still stay toward the top and we’ll probably still make nationals.”

The top four teams — in regards to total points earned — will go on to the National High School Rodeo Finals next month in Gillette, Wyo. That means the Mitchell duo does not have to place in the top four this weekend to make it to nationals. Parr and Hart just have to score enough points to remain in the top four teams in the state.

Entering this week’s competition in the team roping event, the team of Levi Lord, Rapid City, and Jade Nelson, Midland, has the highest point total with 29. Blake Boysen, Sioux Falls, and Dean Christensen, Beresford, have 28 points and the team of Wyatt Mann, Box Elder, and Tanner Miller, Spearfish, is tied with Hart and Parr at 27 points. Five other teams have earned at least 20 points thus far this summer.

Parr said the team would be “very disappointed” if it did not make Sunday’s short go-round.

“Even if we didn’t catch one, our odds are still pretty good to get into the short-go,” said Parr, who competed with his brother, Chance, in the team roping competition at last year’s state finals.

If Parr and Hart win a go-round Friday or Saturday, they will win buckles. If they were to win state, they would win saddles.

Parr also will be competing in the steer wrestling competition, while Hart qualified in the calf roping.

“Team roping is our main deal,” said Parr, who is the team’s heeler. “That’s what we’re best at.

“We have to be really, really good to make top 15 in our individual events.”

Hart and Parr began team roping together in 2005 when they were 11 years old. They said they will head to Belle Fourche on Thursday night for check-in.

The state finals event begins tonight with the first go-rounds of boys’ and girls’ cutting.

The top four in points after the state finals in each event will advance to the National High School Rodeo Finals.

Ticket prices for spectators are $8 for a regular performance, $15 for a final performance or $40 for a weekend pass. Children 9 & under receive free admission.

Here is a list of other area competitors that will be competing this week:

Name, hometown (event)

Kenzie Owen, Winner (cutting)

Moriah Glaus, Chamberlain (breakaway roping, pole bending)

Jill Jandreau, Kimball (breakaway roping, barrel racing)

McKenzie Jendersee, Mitchell (breakaway roping)

Rylee Jo Rutten, Colome (breakaway roping, goat tying)

Becca Kartak, Colome (breakaway roping, barrel racing, team roping)

Lana Cwach, Geddes (breakaway roping, barrel racing)

Syerra Christensen, Kennebec (breakaway roping, team roping)

Brandi Cwach, Geddes (pole bending, goat tying)

Caitlin Beaty, Mitchell (pole bending)

Schae Hanson, Burke, (pole bending, goat tying)

Vanzi Knippling, Chamberlain (pole bending, goat tying, team roping)

Lanae Van Gerpen, Avon (pole bending, barrel racing)

Savanna Glaus, Chamberlain (goat tying, barrel racing)

Cheyenne Salonen, Gregory (goat tying)

Paige Vilhauer, Avon (goat tying)

Torrie Michels, Mitchell (goat tying)

Logan Moody, Letcher (barrel racing, pole bending)

Brooke Steckelberg, Chamberlain (barrel racing)

Tate Glaus, Chamberlain (steer wrestling)

Trevor Knippling, Chamberlain (steer wrestling, calf roping, team roping)

Lane Hall, Winner (Saddle Bronc, team roping)

Tanner Cross, Woonsocket (calf roping, team roping)

Joe Bertus, Avon (bull riding)

Scott Shoemaker, Gregory (bull riding)

Lane Scott, Kennebec (bull riding)

Tate Novotny, Colome (team roping)

Nathan Pedersen, Platte (team roping)

Kaycee Pedersen, Platte (team roping)

Mike Braun, Gregory (team roping)

Levi Schonebaum, Herrick (team roping)

Chesney Nagel, Springfield (breakaway roping, pole bending, goat tying, barrel racing)

Shayna Nagel, Springfield (breakaway roping, team roping

Tags: sports, updates, rodeo, kernels, winner, chamberlain, kimball, colome, geddes, kennebec, burke, avon, gregory, letcher, woonsocket, platte, herrick