As of Aug. 28, 2024, Florida’s Lexi Andrews took over the top spot in the Cinch Ladies Year-End Award heading race with 58 points. In the heeling, Colorado’s Jimmi Jo Montera throws down with 56 points to remain in first, but heeling phenom Whitney DeSalvo has entered the race chat behind her.
The Leaders
Lexi Andrews
Lexi Andrews, 16, reclaimed the No. 1 position she previously held and lost to Shawnee Murphy at last reporting. The Live Oak, Florida native made a notable run when she attended the 25th Anniversary Alabama Championships produced by Allen’s Roping Productions in late July. There, she was in the money in the #10.5 and #8.5 USTRC ropings, earning 7 points with her fourth-place finish in the #10.5 and a cumulative 12 points in the #8.5 for her second- and eighth-place finishes.
In August, she roped in the #11.5 USTRC at the North Alabama Championships, another Allen’s Roping Productions event, to earn another 8 points with her third-place finish, bringing her total haul for the month to 27 points and her season total to 58. Not only are her 58 points worth the lead in the Cinch Ladies race, they’ve also garnered her the top spot in the USTRC Resistol Jr. race.
Jimmi Jo Montera
Greeley, Colorado’s Jimmi Jo Montera jumped from 17 points to 56 since the last report. Montera went to work on her trip north to Cheyenne, Wyoming, for JX2’s “The Daddy,” which paid out nearly $1.8 million in late July.
In Cheyenne, Montera won the USTRC Ladies Open with 2022 Women’s Rodeo World Championship winner Kylie McLean to earn 10 points and then snagged fifth place for 6 points. Then in the USTRC Ladies #10.5, Montera finished in the second, third and fifth places to earn another 23 points, for a 39-point gain.
The Top 5
Headers
Iowa’s Shawnee Murphy maintains her last-reported 38 points to fall to No. 2 in the standings. Behind her, Georgia’s Holly Childers climbs five holes to No. 3 after doubling her points from last month. To do so, Childers won third in the #10.5 USTRC at July’s Alabama Championships for 8 points and, in August, won second place in the #9.5 USTRC Legends at the Tunica Super Qualifier for another 9 points.
Now in the No. 4 position is Texas header TyAnn Clements who climbs a spot from No. 5 with the 10 points she earned for winning the #7.5 USTRC at July’s Stephenville Qualifier. Next, Oklahoma’s Tia Danker rounds out the Top 5 by maintaining her last reported 27 points.
Heelers
Behind Montera is Cinch Ladies standings newcomer Whitney DeSalvo. Arguably the handiest female heeler in the game, Arkansas’ DeSalvo also entered up at The Daddy in July to finish third and fourth in the USTRC Ladies Open for a total of 15 points, worth the No. 2 place in the Cinch Ladies standings this month.
Behind DeSalvo, Nebraska’s Sage Dieter and South Carolina’s Maddie Smith remain in a tie with the 10 points they maintained since last reporting, worth the No. 3 position this month.
The Top 5 is crowded this month with a five-way tie for the No. 5 spot. With the 8 points they maintain from last reporting is reigning USTRC Cinch Ladies Champion Heeler Kyra Hendren of New Mexico, Morgan Robson of Kansas, and Texas’ Janelle Gomez. They are joined this month by Mississippi roper Laurie Baggett and South Carolina’s Tonia Locke.
2024-2025 USTRC Cinch Ladies Leaderboard
(as of 8/28/24. Go to USTRC.com for current standings.)
| Headers | Points | Hometown |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lexi Andrews | 58 | Live Oak, Florida |
| 2. Shawnee Murphy | 38 | Melrose, Iowa |
| 3. Holly Childers | 34 | Fairmount, Georgia |
| 4. TyAnn Clements | 29 | Stephenville, Texas |
| 5. Tia Danker | 27 | Glencoe, Oklahoma |
| 6. Maddie Gomez | 25 | Belton, Texas |
| 7. Kay Stevens | 18 | Bethany, Missouri |
| 7. Amy Swanson | 18 | Lathrop, Missouri |
| 9. Gretchen Hilley | 17 | Perrin, Texas |
| 9. Shryl Cooper | 17 | Stephenville, Texas |
| Heelers | Points | Hometown |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Jimmi Jo Montera | 56 | Greeley, Colorado |
| 2. Whitney DeSalvo | 15 | Springfield, Arkansas |
| 3. Sage Dieter | 10 | Alma, Nebraska |
| 3. Maddie Smith | 10 | Westminster, South Carolina |
| 5. Kyra Hendren | 8 | Albuquerque, New Mexico |
| 5. Morgan Robson | 8 | Rolla, Kansas |
| 5. Janelle Gomez | 8 | Belton, Texas |
| 5. Laurie Baggett | 8 | Tupelo, Mississippi |
| 5. Tonia Locke | 8 | Anderson, South Carolina |
| 10. Kim Grubbs | 7 | Caldwell, Idaho |
Current USTRC or Key Card/Key Card Max membership is required to participate in the Cinch Ladies Year-End Award program. Earned points begin counting at time of membership purchase thru the NFTR’s last shootout event. The season begins the Monday after the last USTRC Cinch NFTR event and ends the last day of the next USTRC Cinch NFTR event.
Ropers must enter at least one Shootout division in the USTRC NFTR to be eligible. The award will be announced at the end of the USTRC Cinch National Finals of Team Roping event.
The points breakdown is as follows: Starting with At Home Challenge Events, ropers will earn 10 points if they win the Challenge. No other points will be awarded. At Signature Events, points will be awarded to those winning an aggregate check. It starts at First Place with 10 points, Second = 9 points, and so on as far down as the roping is paid. During the Cinch NFTR, the placing points are simply doubled. First Place is worth 20 points, second = 18, and so on. For complete rules, please visit USTRC.com.
—TRJ—
