MARSHALL, Mo. – Zachary Wilson and Blade Elliott won the rodeo in their events to lead the West Alabama Men’s Tiger Wranglers to a third place finish at the Viking Stampede Rodeo that finished up Saturday at Saline County Fairgrounds.

The West Alabama men racked up 565 points with just 10 Cowboys competing. Tennessee-Martin won the rodeo, followed by hosting Missouri Valley and UWA. With just five competitors, the West Alabama women failed to score.

Wilson, the defending national champion in tie down roping, picked up right where he left off at the College National Rodeo Finals in June by winning the average at the Viking Stampede. A sophomore from Billingsley, Ala., Wilson came into the short go-around in third place and climbed his way back to the top.

A senior from Centreville, Elliott came back from off-season knee surgery to win the rodeo in bareback bronc riding. Elliott was in first place coming out of the long round and hung on for the win.

“I am very pleased and proud of our guys,” first-year head coach Alex Caudle said. “Our women had some tough luck, but we worked out some kinks and will be ready to go at Murray State next week.

“Blade has come off his injury very strong and Zac hasn’t missed a lick since Casper (Wyo.) at the CNFR,” Caudle said.

Scooter Scarbrough, a junior from Mendenhall, Miss., finished second in calf roping and Chris Smith, a sophomore from Loxahatchee, Fla., was third in bareback riding.

West Alabama continues its fall Ozark Region rodeo season at the Murray State Rodeo beginning Thursday at the West Kentucky Exposition Center in Murray, Ky.