ProRodeo Sports News - Dec. 21, 2018

TEAM ROPING AVERAGE WINNERS

Team roping header Aaron Tsinigine, right, and heeler Trey Yates won the team roping average title after producing a time of 69.6 seconds on 10 head. PRCA ProRodeo photo by James Phifer

On Target: Tsinigine/Yates win first average titles

BY AMBER BAILLIE T he answer is simple to how 2015World Champion Team Roping Header Aaron Tsinigine and first-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifying heeler Trey Yates won the average at this year’s Finals – they carried out their game plan every round. Tsinigine and Yates each earned $128,462 at the 2018 Finals and won the average with a 69.6-second time on 10 head. Tsinigine, 32, and Yates, 23, finished third in the 2018 PRCA | RAMWorld Standings with $212,506 and $226,900, respectively. They were the only team to make the catch 10 times. “I felt like I could catch every steer, maybe not fast, but I was tapped off in catch mode and knew at the end of the week, they were going to pay us for it,” said Yates, of Pueblo, Colo. “We ended up chasing a couple (steers) but placed in seven of 10 rounds and had the same approach every night.” That consistent, rope-to-win approach paid off, earning them $67,269 each for the average title. “Every night, you can’t back off and rope non-aggressively, because there’s not enough arena,” Yates said. “You’ve got to have aggressive intelligence.” Tsinigine, of Tuba City, Ariz., entered the Wrangler NFR ranked ninth with $84,044, and Yates came in fifth with $98,439. Their toughest run came during Round 6, after Tsinigine broke the barrier and Yates roped only one hind leg. They received a 15-second penalty, earning a 19.5-second time, but still placed fifth in the round. “It seemed like a couple of guys struggled the sixth round,” Yates said. “It was crazy, and I was beyond ready for Round 10 to be over.” Although the team never won a round, they stopped the clock at 4.1 seconds during Round 3 to split for second with Riley and Brady Minor, each

earning $18,192. “That brought my confidence high and I felt pretty sustainable catching the rest of the steers,” Yates said. By Round 10, Tsinigine said he wanted to give Yates a chance at winning a world championship. “I felt like I didn’t back off, I needed to give Trey a chance, he had a better chance than I did,” Tsinigine said. “I wanted a chance to win deep in the round and felt like I went at them pretty good.” The duo finished eighth in the last round with a 5.3-second run. Both left the Finals with $128,462. “I’m happy with everything that took place,” Yates said. “I hope I’m fortunate enough, and my ability allows me to come back in the future. Sure, everyone goes to win a gold buckle, but this is just unbelievable.” The win was extra special for the Yates family. “The last time my dad was here (J.D. Yates) was in 2002, and he won the average buckle,” Yates said. “Now, we’ve got one to put up next to it. It’s the best feeling in the world.” Tsinigine qualified for the Wrangler NFR in 2014 and 2015 but hadn’t won the average until now. “It’s one of those deals on your bucket list, the same as winning a championship,” he said. “You never know what’s going to happen, but you work toward it. To finally get the buckle and to win it with a rookie heeler is pretty awesome.” However, Tsinigine and Yates, who have been roping together since June, will not remain partners through the 2019 season. “We’re just going in different directions,” Tsinigine said. “He (Yates) ropes good, and I think he’ll do well. He rides good horses, he’s a clutch roper and did a pretty good job for me.”

ProRodeo Sports News 12/21/2018

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