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Donaldson, McKellips to compete in national rodeo
Cowboys place in state rodeo and earn trips to national event
By: Nick Bratkovic, nbratkovic@miconews.com
Trevor Donaldson and Jake McKellips already had their scholarships to compete for Fort Scott Community College in rodeo next fall when they entered the Kansas High School Rodeo Competition, but they still had unfinished business.
The athletes wanted to qualify for the National High School Finals Rodeo next month in Springfield, Ill. They had competed in the rodeo last year, and qualifying again would complete their high school careers.
In the Kansas High School Rodeo Finals, though, they did more than qualify, they won events.
Donaldson won a saddle for being the champion in the steer roping competition.
He was seeded eighth entering finals competition and knew that he would have to catch all of his steers to win the competition.
Then he needed help from the other riders.
“I didn't think that I could win coming into final competitions, but after a couple of the other participants missed their steers I knew that I could,” he said.
Donaldson won because he caught the greatest number of steers and did it the fastest.
“I wanted to go out winning this competition my senior year,” he said. “I wanted to make it to finals and knew that if I had a good finals, then I was going to go to nationals.”
Now, he has a ticket to Springfield.
McKellips will make the journey with him.
During the state rodeo, McKellips won the championship for saddlebronc riding and the all-around competition.
He competed in bull riding and saddlebronc riding events, and then won the all-around competition by scoring the greatest number of total points for all events.
Entering the finals competition, he was winning the all-around, saddlebronc and bull riding competition, but wasn't pleased with his rides in finals.
“I just didn't feel like I had a good finals round,” he said. “It seemed like the harder I tried, the worse I ended up doing.”
McKellips scored 81 points in the saddlebronc competition, which was a personal best in the event. His previous best score was 76.
In saddlebronc competition, athletes are judged on look, style and performance.
The athletes will compete in the National High School Finals Rodeo competition July 22-28.
Both will compete at Fort Scott Community College in the fall. McKellips also will enter into a professional rodeo at Gardner this weekend.
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The athletes wanted to qualify for the National High School Finals Rodeo next month in Springfield, Ill. They had competed in the rodeo last year, and qualifying again would complete their high school careers.
In the Kansas High School Rodeo Finals, though, they did more than qualify, they won events.
Donaldson won a saddle for being the champion in the steer roping competition.
He was seeded eighth entering finals competition and knew that he would have to catch all of his steers to win the competition.
Then he needed help from the other riders.
“I didn't think that I could win coming into final competitions, but after a couple of the other participants missed their steers I knew that I could,” he said.
Donaldson won because he caught the greatest number of steers and did it the fastest.
“I wanted to go out winning this competition my senior year,” he said. “I wanted to make it to finals and knew that if I had a good finals, then I was going to go to nationals.”
Now, he has a ticket to Springfield.
McKellips will make the journey with him.
During the state rodeo, McKellips won the championship for saddlebronc riding and the all-around competition.
He competed in bull riding and saddlebronc riding events, and then won the all-around competition by scoring the greatest number of total points for all events.
Entering the finals competition, he was winning the all-around, saddlebronc and bull riding competition, but wasn't pleased with his rides in finals.
“I just didn't feel like I had a good finals round,” he said. “It seemed like the harder I tried, the worse I ended up doing.”
McKellips scored 81 points in the saddlebronc competition, which was a personal best in the event. His previous best score was 76.
In saddlebronc competition, athletes are judged on look, style and performance.
The athletes will compete in the National High School Finals Rodeo competition July 22-28.
Both will compete at Fort Scott Community College in the fall. McKellips also will enter into a professional rodeo at Gardner this weekend.