Posted: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 12:03 pm

The University of Tennessee at Martin men finished fourth with 355 points in its annual spring college rodeo this past weekend at the Ned Ray McWherter Agricultural Pavilion.

Southern Arkansas won the rodeo with 625 points while Missouri Valley College was second with 620 points. Murray State was third with 420 points.

UT Martin scored most of its points in the bull riding and bareback riding. Jeff Askey turned in an 83-point ride Thursday night to win the first round and the average.

Zach Johnson split third in the first round with a 60-point ride. He also split third in the average.

In the bareback riding, UT Martin’s Matt Smith split fourth and fifth in the first round with teammate Josh Chase. Both cowboys turned in 72-point rides.

UT Martin’s Sheldon Rinkes won the second round with an 80-point ride. Rinkes was fifth in the average.

Smith split second and third in the second round with a 78-point ride, while Chase was fifth with a 74-point ride.

Smith was second in the average, while Chase finished sixth in the average.

The UT Martin women’s team did not finish among the top six teams.

“It was really a fun rodeo, and we had a great crowd,” said John Luthi, UT Martin’s head rodeo coach.

“We really do appreciate the support from the community.”

WCP 4.21.09