Rodeo | 4/20/2026 11:30:00 AM

HAYS, Kan. — Oklahoma Panhandle State Rodeo put together stellar performances April 16-18 at the Fort Hays State University Rodeo, with the women's team taking first place and the men finishing runner-up.
 
The win for the OPSU women is their first of the season, and the first the Aggies have had since the women won the Colby Rodeo in September 2024. The men's second-place finish tied for their best on the year.
 
Individual efforts for Panhandle were led by Luke Tippmann and Falyn Thomson, who placed second in the team roping while sharing in a tie for the most points (140). The two also collected points in the bareback riding and breakaway, respectively. Tippmann's performances earned him his second Men's All-Around Champion title of 2025-26, while Thomson garnered the honor of Women's All-Around Champion in a season-first. Riley Stark also dominated in the saddle bronc riding, racking up a combined score of 164 to snatch first place in the average.
 
As a duo in the team roping, Tippmann and Thomson turned in times of 7.5 and 7.3 seconds in their go-rounds, respectively. The performances gave Panhandle second place in the first go, third place in the short go and lifted the pair to second in the average.
 
Women's Performances
In addition to collecting 140 points by partnering with Tippmann in the team roping, Thomson took eighth in the average of breakaway roping, buoyed by her fourth-fifth time of 2.3 seconds in the long go.
 
The Aggies also got a huge lift in the goat tying, as Kiley Slavin and Camree Slavin combined to contribute 142.5 points to the women's team total.
 
Kiley Slavin finished third in the average, following up her long-go showing of 8.4 seconds by placing fourth in the short go at 8.2 seconds.
 
Camree Slavin slotted in just behind, highlighted by her stopping of the clock at 8.1 seconds in the short go, good for the third-best time in the final round.
 
As a team, the Aggie women cleared host-Fort Hays State by 27.50 points for the title.
 
Men's Performances
Tippmann added to his excellent season as a bareback rider, hauling in 80 points for OPSU while claiming fourth in the average. His first-go score of 78 highlighted his efforts, on top of what he accomplished with Thomson in the team roping.
 
Stark won the first go of the saddle bronc riding with a score of 80, and the sophomore improved upon it with a score of 84 in the short go, which was the fourth-highest of the round. The two showings lifted Stark to first place in the average and added 150 points to the team results.
 
Zane Kreikemeier made finals of the tie down roping, and he took advantage by using a second-place, 10.4-seconds finish in the short go. The performance also boosted him to second in the average, which added 100 points to the team score.
 
The OPSU men's 470.00 total points bested third-place Fort Scott by 80 in the team results.
 
What's up next: The Aggies are set to close the season April 23-25 with the "Doc" Gardner Memorial Rodeo at Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena in Guymon, Oklahoma. Admission is free, and a free live stream will be provided at sacsportsnetwork.com/opsu/.