TEC First Round

For the second year in a row, Kyle Lockett of Visalia, Calif. leads the Wrangler Timed Event Championship of the World after the first round at the Lazy E Arena.

Friday afternoon, Lockett, who went on to finish fifth in the average in 2009, set the pace with 52.8 seconds on five runs.

Lockett, the 2005 WTEC Champion, is being closely followed in the average by fellow Californian and two-time WTEC Champion Daniel Green of Oakdale, who worked five head Friday in 56.7 seconds. Sitting third in the average after the opening round is four-time WTEC champion K.C Jones of Burlington, Wyo. with 59.2 seconds on five. Rounding out the top five are Brett Fleming of Worden, Montana, 61.9 seconds on five, and Josh Peek of Pueblo, Colo., 66.0 seconds on five.

The 26th Annual Wrangler Timed Event Championship of the World takes 20 of the world's toughest cowboys to ever battle the clock and tests their talents in a marathon of team roping - heading and heeling, tie-down roping, steer wrestling and steer roping each round for five rounds. Waiting at the end is a total purse of $150,000, including a staggering $50,000 to the winner of the average after 25 runs.

Action continues through Sunday at the Lazy E Arena.

Lockett, who statistician Curt Robinson said also led after the first go when he won the WTEC title in 2005, was fifth after two runs Friday. But then it was time for Lockett's specialty, heeling. Stopping the clock in 8.3 seconds for 30.8 seconds on three head, he moved to the front. With a 6.7-second toss in the steer wrestling and a steady 15.3-second run in steer roping he stayed atop the pack.

Green used the best steer roping run of the afternoon, a 14.7, to vault to second in the average. Jones of Wyoming, was steady throughout the first go never falling below third.