UW Rodeo Teams Falter at Lamar

October 8, 2013

After winning its first rodeo of the season two weeks ago, the University of Wyoming men’s team made a complete U-turn and struggled to score enough points to make a serious challenge in the latest Central Rocky Mountain Region (CRMR) competition.

The Cowboys managed just 115 team points at last weekend’s Lamar (Colo.) Community College (LCC) rodeo to split eighth place with longtime regional rival Central Wyoming College. Just when it appeared the Pokes would make a serious run in the overall standings, the team took a step back with only one fall rodeo remaining on the schedule.

In just one week, the UW men fell from third in the CRMR standings to fifth overall. Gillette College remains in first place with 2,190 overall points but, with last weekend’s win at Lamar, the Casper College T-Birds closed the gap and trail the Pronghorns by 95 points. This season’s surprise contender, Sheridan College, overtook third place and has 1,755 points through four rounds of competition. Eastern Wyoming College (EWC) is fourth with 1,460. The Cowboys are fifth overall with 1,355 points.

The T-Birds won for the second time this season, piling up 615 points at the LCC rodeo to edge runner-up Sheridan College by 45 points.

The Cowboys have relied heavily this fall on their tie down and team ropers, but UW failed to score any points in either event. That left it up to the roughstock hands, but the Pokes managed to score in just one event the entire weekend.

Wyatt Clark turned in the top performance in bareback riding, winning the short go round with a season-best 83 points. The Wellfleet, Neb., senior was fourth in the overall average.

Three other UW Cowboys placed in their respective individual events, but they were not selected to the six-man team prior to last weekend’s rodeo. Thomas Smith from Eden was fourth in the steer wrestling average and Salmon, Idaho, teammate Cody Brewer was sixth in the same event. Brit Ellerman, a Fort Lupton, Colo., junior, and partner Trey Yates from EWC, placed fourth in the team roping average.

The UW women’s season-long struggles continued when the Cowgirls failed to score any team points at Lamar, plunging them further down the team championship standings. UW is now 10th overall, scoring just 140 team points in four fall rodeos. The Chadron State College (CSC) women took over first place with 1,145 points, while defending regional champion Gillette College dropped to second place, 40 points back.

CSC took the team title last weekend with 455 points, while the Lady Pronghorns were 200 points back for second place.

The fall season concludes this weekend with the annual Shawn Dubie Memorial Rodeo, hosted by Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne.

For a complete list of team and individual results from the LCC rodeo, click here.

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