UW Women Take Opening Spring Rodeo at LCCC

With a balanced attack, the University of Wyoming Cowgirls put together a strong performance to win the opening Central Rocky Mountain Region (CRMR) rodeo last weekend.

The Cowgirls scored 365 points to capture the rescheduled Shane Dubie Memorial Rodeo, hosted by Laramie County Community College (LCCC) in Cheyenne. The LCCC rodeo normally is scheduled as the final competition of the fall CRMR schedule. But, a virus hit some of the LCCC team members’ horses last semester, forcing officials to quarantine some of the animals.

UW’s women edged Sheridan College for the weekend victory by 55 points. Third place went to Eastern Wyoming College (EWC), which had 275 points.

The weekend win was the Cowgirls’ second straight for the team. UW’s women took the Central Wyoming College (CWC) rodeo in the final rodeo of the fall schedule.

At the halfway point of the fall/spring slate, the Cowgirls are firmly entrenched in second place and have cut into region-leading Gillette College’s lead. The Pronghorns have accumulated 2,010 points, while UW has garnered 1,170 points. EWC sits in third with 897 points.

Casey Reimler won the breakaway roping event for the first time this season. This was the first time she has scored any points in the event. The Rozet senior won the short go after splitting third place in the opening round to give her the win in the average. Her 155 points vaulted her into sixth place in the breakaway roping regional standings.

The Cowgirls’ final 180 team points came from a pair of barrel racers. Kelsey Lensegrav and Rachael Calvo were third and fourth, respectively. Lensegrav, from Interior, S.D., recorded the top time in the event’s opening round. Calvo, from Bassett, Neb., moved up into the runner-up position in the regional standings.

The Cowboys opened up the spring schedule with a seventh-place showing at LCCC, scoring 270 points. Overall, the Pokes are still in eighth place in the regional team standings.

Jacob Smith moved into second place in the individual bull riding standings after winning the event last weekend. The LaSalle, Colo., junior was the only rider to clear his bull in the short go, with a 79-point ride. He was third in the opening round and was the only contestant to mark on both his bulls, scoring 160 team points.

The Pokes had two other team members score points during weekend action: Brock Wahlert, of Casper, was fourth in bareback riding; and JC Flake, of Mesa, Ariz., and partner Jon Peterson, of Gillette College, were fifth in the team roping average.

Casper College’s men took the LCCC rodeo with 565 points, while LCCC and CWC were second and third with 405 points and 400 points, respectively.

Sheridan College maintained its seasonlong lead with 2,035 points, while Gillette College is second with 1,805. LCCC is third with 1,730 points.

CRMR teams are off this weekend, with the next rodeo hosted by Gillette College March 16-18.

For regional individual and team results, click here.