Mid-Plains Community College Rodeo Team member Tyler Viers of Comstock won his first collegiate bull riding competition and also gave MPCC their first event win in a rodeo during the University of Wisconsin-River Falls rodeo Sept. 13-14.

Although Viers was bucked off in the short go, his score of 79 in the long round set the bar too high for the competition.

“I got a good bull and it was a pretty solid ride. It felt good to be the highest marked ride of the weekend,” he said.

“This was Tyler’s first college rodeo and he was the first guy out in the performance. He set the pace early,” said Dustin Elliott, MPCC Rodeo Team coach.

Elliott said he was pleased to see that the entire team was waiting in the arena to congratulate Tyler after his ride.

“There is a great team atmosphere and feeling of support from the other team members,” he said.

“Having the team behind you really helps your confidence level,” agreed Viers. “We do that for everybody on the team. It felt really great to have the team behind me.”

Viers is the son of Shane and Sandy Hickey and Jason and Cindy Viers. He began competing in junior rodeos when he was six, riding sheep and calves first and then gradually working up to riding bulls. While in high school at Sargent, he qualified for nationals three times and finished seventh in the nation in bull riding at the 2013 National High School Finals Rodeo Championship in Rock Springs, Wyo., in July.

“I’ve been on all different types of bulls and that really helps out because you never really know what you’re going to draw at these rodeos,” he said.

Although Viers admits his heart is in bull riding, he still places a high priority on his studies at North Platte Community College.

“My career goal is winning the world in bull riding, but in case that doesn’t work out I will have the schooling to fall back on,” he said.