UW Men’s Rodeo Team Takes Over First Place in Regional Competition

Just like that, the University of Wyoming men’s rodeo team is back in familiar territory: first place in the Central Rocky Mountain Region (CRMR) standings.

The Cowboys strung together their best performance of the 2023-24 season to start the spring slate at the Gillette College rodeo last weekend. The Pokes, who won the final fall rodeo last semester, picked up where they left off but were even better, accumulating 765 points to easily outdistance the host Pronghorns, who had 395 points.

In the process, UW head Coach Seth Glause’s team has now jumped two spots in the CRMR’s men’s standings with 2,725 points -- a tight 15 points ahead of Gillette College, which had been the overall leader since the opening rodeo last September. The Cowboys also leapfrogged over Casper College in the standings, with the T-Birds dropping to third in the team race with 2,480 points.

“I thought our men’s team performed great this past weekend,” Glause says. “We missed a couple of chances in the short round to have an exceptional weekend.”

The Cowboys were led by Bodie Mattson, of Sturgis, S.D., who was a force in both roping events. He won the opening round of tie down roping and was second in the short go to win the average. He and UW team roping partner Troupe Coors, of Loveland, Colo., split second place, had the second-best time in the short go, and wound up as the team roping runners-up. Mattson also won the all-around, personally scoring 315 points for the Cowboys.

The UW men also received scoring from the entire points team:

-- Saratoga’s Kaden Berger also won an individual event, taking the steer wrestling competition with a pair of solid runs.

-- Cam Jensen, of Bingham, Neb., placed in the average in two separate events. He was fourth in steer wrestling and fifth in tie down roping.

-- Brice Patterson, of Bozeman, Mont., returned from the injured list, taking third place in bareback riding in his first competition since the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) last summer.

-- David Gallagher, from Brighton, Colo., placed fifth in steer wrestling.

-- Rio Nutter, of Rapid City, S.D., did not place in the average but added tie down roping points.

A pair of UW Cowboys not on the points team also had a good opening weekend. Gillette’s Kale Roswadovski won the bareback riding competition, and Weston Mills, also from Gillette, and partner Coy Johnson, from Gillette College, were third in team roping.

The UW Cowgirls also had a solid opening weekend to remain in contention for one of the two CNFR bids when they placed third at the Gillette College rodeo.

The host Pronghorns won for the fifth time in six fall-spring rodeos in winning their own competition with 363.3 points, while Laramie County Community College (LCCC) was second with 240. Just 30 points back were the Cowgirls.

Gillette College remains the CRMR’s top team with 2,243.3 points, while the Cowgirls are hanging on to second place with 1,377.5 points -- just 40 ahead of third-place LCCC.

Riata Day, of Fleming, Colo., dominated goat tying with the second-best time in the opening round. She later won the short go to take the overall average. She personally accounted for 170 of the team’s total 210 points.

Landry Haugen, from Sturgis, S.D., scored the Cowgirls’ final points when she had the third-best time in the opening round of goat tying. She did not place in the average.

Kenna McNeill, of Hobbs, N.M., who was not on the weekend points team, won the women’s all-around, placing in a pair of events. She was second in barrel racing and then added goat tying points.

The Cowgirls had three women place in breakaway roping during the first spring rodeo: Tatum Runner, of Wellington, Colo., took first; Raegen Delancey, from Cheyenne, was fourth; and Buffalo’s Jordyn McNamee took sixth. Sage Kohr, of Gillette, placed fourth in barrel racing.

“I thought our women’s team did well,” Glause says. “Kenna had a great weekend winning the all-around. I look forward to our team competing at a high level the rest of the spring season.”

The UW teams head to Torrington this weekend for the Eastern Wyoming College rodeo.