UW Men Tie For First Place in Opening Fall Rodeo

It’s a long rodeo season with the scheduled divided into a fall and spring slate. But, if the opening competition of the new year is any indication, the University of Wyoming men’s team could be in for a good campaign.

The Cowboys came out of the chutes last weekend in great shape, splitting with Casper College for the men’s team title at the opening rodeo hosted by Central Wyoming College (CWC) in Riverton.

Both the Pokes and T-Birds scored 435 points to take the early lead in the Central Rocky Mountain Region (CRMR) region. Perennial champion Gillette College placed third with 360 points, and Sheridan College was 30 points behind the Pronghorns.

With five of the six UW men making up the Cowboys’ starting lineup being brand new, Coach George Howard was looking for consistency at both ends of the arena this fall.

They didn’t disappoint. The Cowboys produced points in both timed and roughstock events.

The lone returning veteran, Brit Ellerman, a senior from Fort Lupton, Colo., picked up where he left off a year ago, combining with partner Trey Yates of Eastern Wyoming College (EWC) to win the team roping ccompetition.

The pair, who were fourth a year ago in the CRMR, won both rounds of competition at CWC to take the average. Newcomer Clint Buringa, a junior from Golden, Colo., and partner Trevor Schnaufer of EWC, split sixth place in the same event to score an additional 40 points for UW.

Sophomore Jaden Clark came through in his first rodeo as a member of the six-man UW team by splitting second place in bareback riding. The Wellfleet, Neb., student tied for first place in the short go to place second in the average.

Another roughstock team member, Eastern New Mexico transfer Brady Dinwoodie, a senior from Canada, placed third in the saddle bronc riding competition.

Kalane Anders of Laramie County Community College was named the men’s all-around winner at the CWC rodeo.

The UW women’s team could not match the men’s opening effort. In fact, the Cowgirls’ struggles from a year ago continued when the four-member team failed to get on the scoreboard.

The Cowgirls were 10th in the CRMR last season and, for the first time in memory, didn’t qualify a team member for the college finals.

Northeastern Junior College (NJC) of Sterling, Colo., won the first fall women’s team title with 390 points to outdistance the Sheridan College women, who had 195 points. NJC’s Paxton Segelke won the women’s all-around.

The Cowboys and Cowgirls will be back in action at this weekend’s Chadron State College Rodeo in Chadron, Neb.

For complete individual and team results from the CWC rodeo, click here.