Griffin welcomes a chance to shine in national rodeo

For Advance, Mo., native Curtis Griffin, this week's College National Finals Rodeo is another opportunity to size up his talent against some of the top cowboys in the nation.

Griffin, a sophomore at the University of Tennessee-Martin, made the trip to the Super Bowl of college rodeo in Jasper, Wyo., with teammates Zach Waggoner, Lyndsie Brower and Jason Dement. Griffin and his teammates will be among rodeo athletes from across the country who will compete for over $200,000 in scholarships at the CNFR, which runs through Saturday.

Griffin, who sat in third place in the bull riding competition after the first day of competition Sunday, said he's excited about taking on such a talented field.

"There's a bunch of different regions that will be there, and the top people will be there," he said.

Along with the prestige of competing in a national competition, Griffin likely will have a chance to compete on television because the CNFR will be nationally televised.

"It won't make me nervous," Griffin said. "I just will probably try not to think about it."

Griffin qualified for the national finals by winning the all-around title in the Ozark region April 15. By winning the bull riding and steer wrestling competitions, Griffin squeezed by Jacob Littlefield of the University of Western Alabama.

One of Griffin's keys to success has been his strong rodeo background. His parents organized rodeos, which has allowed him to keep his skills sharp year-round.

"I think it's a real big advantage," Griffin said. "I think that's what's got us where we're at."

At the Central Plains and Ozark regional championships in Lawton, Okla., held May 8 to 10, Griffin placed fourth in the all-around standings behind champion Cord McCoy. McCoy, one of top rodeo athletes in the country, leads the national standings.

"I know him pretty well," Griffin said. "It would be nice to beat him."

A strong finish at the CNFR would help earn Griffin a nice money prize and may help convince him to turn pro.

"It would mean a lot," Griffin said. "I'd say it might make me take a chance and go pro. I've been thinking about it a lot."

Bennett, Baylor eliminated in baseball super regional

Central graduate Ross Bennett's impressive baseball career at Baylor University came to a sour end Sunday when the Bears were eliminated in the super regionals 20-5 by LSU in Baton Rouge, La.

Baylor jumped out to a 3-0 lead and held tight with the Tigers until LSU put 11 runs on the board in the sixth inning to put the game out of reach. Bennett was 0-for-1 in the game and ended the series 0-for-3.

Baylor reached the super-regional by winning the Hattiesburg regional with a 3-2 win over Southern Mississippi. Bennett struggled in the regional, going 0-for-8.

Bennett finished his senior season with a .358 batting average, 46 RBIs, 11 doubles and 33 runs scored. His senior campaign also garnered him academic all-American honors as well as second-team all-Big 12 at designated hitter. Bennett had a career .335 averaged with the Bears over his four seasons, which also included all-Big 12 designated hitter last season. Bennett was an academic all-Big 12 three times.

Noteworthy

Jackson graduate Megan Kuntze's NAIA softball championship dream ended with a 3-1 loss to the University of Mary (N.D.) May 19. Kuntze scored Columbia's only run in the loss. The Cougars opened the tournament with a 3-0 win over Spring Hill College before dropping two in a row. Kuntze started off the tournament strong with a 1-for-3 performance against Spring Hill. Kuntze added an RBI in the Cougars' only win.

Advance graduate Garrett Broshuis and his University of Missouri teammates made their first appearance in an NCAA Regional since 1996. Missouri was eliminated with a 10-5 loss to Mississippi State May 31. The Tigers went 1-2 in the regional.

Central graduate Marisa Uzoaru finished seventh in the East regional high jump May 30 and 31 on the campus of George Mason University. Uzoaru cleared a height of 5-9 3/10, which tied with six other jumpers. Uzoaru finished with more failed attempts though, which put her down to seventh and out of the automatic qualifiers. The top five in the regional qualified for the NCAA national meet.