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By STEVE RANSON
Sports Editor
One would think Fallon's Annie Joanette has pressure on her.
That came last year at nationals when the Fallon teen had to overcome a poor effort in her first go round of breakaway roping. Then came a good time in the second round that placed her in the top four.
The rest is history for the recently graduated Joanette.
In the short go, she roped her calf in 2.574 seconds to finish second. But then the waiting began for the other three contestants to finish their breakaway roping.
Seconds became minutes. The minutes seemed like hours, but when the other three cowgirls could not best Joanette's time, she walked away with a national championship with an overall time of 9.255 seconds.
Prior to leaving Fallon last week, Joanette was ready for another shot at breakaway roping where she finished third at state this year, just seven points behind Chelsea Hoff. The Fallon 18-year-old also emerged as a double state champ with first place wins in barrel racing and goat tying.
In fact, Fallon contestants garnered the top three positions in goat tying with Kassi Venturacci taking second and Raylene Segura third.
"Fallon has to have the toughest team in Nevada. It's also nice to have good teammates. We're all supportive of each other no matter what."
The third place finish doesn't bother Joanette. She placed second in state last year and became a national champion at the national finals at Farmington, New Mex.
Joanette is approaching every day one at a time.
"I'm going out there to have fun," she said, adding that she found more pressure at state than for this year's national finals.
"There was more added pressure (at state) since it was my last year. But I am very satisfied and real happy with how it ended.
Although she did not practiced barrel racing too much in the past month, she has kept her horses in shape, and she practices roping and goat tying almost daily.
Annie Joanette comes from a rodeo family. Her mother, her instructor, competed in nationals as a high school teen in breakaway roping. Three brothers-Bear, Cody and Jody-have been there to support their little sister.
Nevada's all-around cowgirl for the past two years, 17-year-old Kassi Venturacci, just finished her junior year. The Fallon native had a good, solid state rodeo by placing second in goat tying and pole bending. She barely missed qualifying in barrel racing (sixth place), girls cutting (fifth) and breakaway (seventh).
Venturacci is used to winning. In her first two years at state, she won goat tying. This year, she has concentrated on other events.
Despite going to nationals twice, Venturacci feels more prepared for this year's week long rodeo.
"It's mental. I've been concentrating on good runs," she added.
Her approach will be the same for nationals as it was for the state finals. Venturacci said she will not change her style for Wyoming.
"I'll stick with my own techniques," she stressed.
Venturacci will take two horses to Gillette and alternate them. A long time rodeo performer, Venturacci has been involved with the sport since she was 7-years-old.
Her practice schedule became more rigorous for several weeks prior to the nationals. She practiced at 5 a.m. and then again late in the afternoon or early evening.
Raylene Segura finished in the top 10 last year in breakaway roping, but bad luck followed the recently graduated teen this year at state. She finished fifth, just four points from advancing to nationals.
She will always remember her performance in Farmington one year ago, standing in fourth place at the end of the second round. But Segura missed her calf in the short go to settle for tenth.
She had achieved her goal.
This year, though, Segura will compete in only one event: goat tying.
Her practice schedule has been what she has called tedious.
"I know it will be worth it in the end," Segura said.
She has rodeoed since she was 3 and will continue to do so in college at Feather River.
As this year's rodeo reporter for Fallon, she has seen many of the top performers and feels the Silver State cowboys and cowgirls could have a good nationals.
"It looks good for a lot of qualifiers," Segura said of the Nevada team. "Last year a lot of new ones from out club participated. Now a lot of them are returning."
Sports Editor
One would think Fallon's Annie Joanette has pressure on her.
That came last year at nationals when the Fallon teen had to overcome a poor effort in her first go round of breakaway roping. Then came a good time in the second round that placed her in the top four.
The rest is history for the recently graduated Joanette.
In the short go, she roped her calf in 2.574 seconds to finish second. But then the waiting began for the other three contestants to finish their breakaway roping.
Seconds became minutes. The minutes seemed like hours, but when the other three cowgirls could not best Joanette's time, she walked away with a national championship with an overall time of 9.255 seconds.
Prior to leaving Fallon last week, Joanette was ready for another shot at breakaway roping where she finished third at state this year, just seven points behind Chelsea Hoff. The Fallon 18-year-old also emerged as a double state champ with first place wins in barrel racing and goat tying.
In fact, Fallon contestants garnered the top three positions in goat tying with Kassi Venturacci taking second and Raylene Segura third.
"Fallon has to have the toughest team in Nevada. It's also nice to have good teammates. We're all supportive of each other no matter what."
The third place finish doesn't bother Joanette. She placed second in state last year and became a national champion at the national finals at Farmington, New Mex.
Joanette is approaching every day one at a time.
"I'm going out there to have fun," she said, adding that she found more pressure at state than for this year's national finals.
"There was more added pressure (at state) since it was my last year. But I am very satisfied and real happy with how it ended.
Although she did not practiced barrel racing too much in the past month, she has kept her horses in shape, and she practices roping and goat tying almost daily.
Annie Joanette comes from a rodeo family. Her mother, her instructor, competed in nationals as a high school teen in breakaway roping. Three brothers-Bear, Cody and Jody-have been there to support their little sister.
Nevada's all-around cowgirl for the past two years, 17-year-old Kassi Venturacci, just finished her junior year. The Fallon native had a good, solid state rodeo by placing second in goat tying and pole bending. She barely missed qualifying in barrel racing (sixth place), girls cutting (fifth) and breakaway (seventh).
Venturacci is used to winning. In her first two years at state, she won goat tying. This year, she has concentrated on other events.
Despite going to nationals twice, Venturacci feels more prepared for this year's week long rodeo.
"It's mental. I've been concentrating on good runs," she added.
Her approach will be the same for nationals as it was for the state finals. Venturacci said she will not change her style for Wyoming.
"I'll stick with my own techniques," she stressed.
Venturacci will take two horses to Gillette and alternate them. A long time rodeo performer, Venturacci has been involved with the sport since she was 7-years-old.
Her practice schedule became more rigorous for several weeks prior to the nationals. She practiced at 5 a.m. and then again late in the afternoon or early evening.
Raylene Segura finished in the top 10 last year in breakaway roping, but bad luck followed the recently graduated teen this year at state. She finished fifth, just four points from advancing to nationals.
She will always remember her performance in Farmington one year ago, standing in fourth place at the end of the second round. But Segura missed her calf in the short go to settle for tenth.
She had achieved her goal.
This year, though, Segura will compete in only one event: goat tying.
Her practice schedule has been what she has called tedious.
"I know it will be worth it in the end," Segura said.
She has rodeoed since she was 3 and will continue to do so in college at Feather River.
As this year's rodeo reporter for Fallon, she has seen many of the top performers and feels the Silver State cowboys and cowgirls could have a good nationals.
"It looks good for a lot of qualifiers," Segura said of the Nevada team. "Last year a lot of new ones from out club participated. Now a lot of them are returning."
