Not that there is much of a chance of a steer escaping a nearby farm and getting loose at the Tacoma Dome this week, but if it does happen, the Prairie girls basketball team can handle it.
Just put freshman Nicole Goecke in the game.
If a goat tries the same escape route, senior Lauren Goecke will chase it down, then tie it down.
After all, that’s what they do.
Well, when they’re not playing basketball, anyway.
Lauren Goecke is good enough on the court to have earned a basketball scholarship at Cal Poly Pomona, but she also is planning on joining the rodeo club in college.
Nicole Goecke won the all-around title for her age group at a youth rodeo in Philomath, Ore., last summer — beating all the boys — in part by winning the chute-dogging competition.
What, exactly, is chute-dogging? Besides its cool name, it’s an event similar to steer wrestling only the cowgirls and cowboys start in the chutes with the steer. When the steer is released, the athletes chase the steer and wrestle the animal to the ground.
“It was so embarrassing,” Nicole said of winning that event. “It’s not something I ever thought I’d take pride in. But it was fun.”
(By the way, remind me never to make fun of Nicole. She might be small, but if she can beat up a steer, I’m sure she’d have no problem with a sports writer.)
The Goecke girls have grown up with horses, goats, and steers. Lauren began riding horses when she was 2, following her father, Randy, around. Nicole got on a horse as soon as possible, too.
The sisters now compete in high school rodeos and Northwest Youth Rodeo Association events. And they do pretty much everything on the schedule. Breakaway roping, goat tying, barrel racing, pole bending, and they are partners with team roping.
Their mom, Lisa, will not allow them to ride bulls.
“We totally would do it,” Lauren boasts.
No doubt.
These days, the Goecke family has eight horses on their property, some goats for practice, and five show steers. (The sisters also show animals at the fair.) That’s a lot of mouths to feed.
“It’s weird, but I like cleaning the stalls and being in the barn,” Lauren said.
“Just going down to the barn takes a lot of stress away,” Nicole added.
But it is not easy — taking care of the animals and preparing for the rodeo.
“You have to work hard to achieve something,” Lauren said. “You’re never going to be good in rodeo unless you practice.”
“It gives you a natural work ethic,” Nicole said. “It makes you drive yourself. There are good life lessons, too. The horses rely on you. As you get older, other people rely on you, too.”
Hey, this is starting to sound like another sport.
“It takes work, but it’s worth it,” Lauren said.
Yeah, definitely sounds like that would apply with Prairie girls basketball.
While Lauren is about to play her final week with the Falcons, Nicole’s career is just beginning at Prairie. They are both thrilled they got to play together one season.
“Having this extra bond brought us way closer together,” Lauren said.
“We don’t fight at all anymore,” Nicole said.
They root for each other, too. Nicole got in the game late in the opening round of the 3A state tournament on Friday.
“That was awesome,” Lauren said. “I remember when I was a freshman, just to get in a game was pretty cool. Now that she is getting an opportunity like that is really cool.”
Nicole almost missed her chance, too.
“I wasn’t even expecting it. He had to call my name a few times,” Nicole said. “It was pretty cool, though. The adrenaline lasted the whole time I was in.”
Kind of like the rush of taking down a steer.
Paul Valencia covers high school sports for The Columbian. He can be reached at 360-735-4557 or e-mail at paul.valencia@columbian.com.
