UW Cowgirls Keep Rolling and Cowboys Retain Regional Rodeo Lead

With just two rodeos remaining in the Central Rocky Mountain Region (CRMR) regular season, the University of Wyoming Cowgirls are making a late push to win the regional title, while their Cowboy counterparts are maintaining a slim lead in the standings.

The UW women won for the second time in three spring rodeos when they took the Colorado State University (CSU) rodeo team title over the weekend with 350 points, chopping season-long leader Gillette College’s advantage to 420 points. The Pronghorns have 2,708.3 points through eight rodeos, while the Cowgirls have 2,287.5. Laramie County Community College is third at 1,857.5 after placing second at CSU with 280 points.

“A couple of opportunities slipped by us Sunday to have a dominant performance,” UW head Coach Seth Glause says. “I am very pleased with the direction they are headed to get into contention for a regional title.”

Just this weekend’s Ropin’ and Riggin’ Days Rodeo hosted by Casper College and UW’s Laramie River Rendezvous Rodeo the following weekend are left on the docket before the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR).

“The next two rodeos will have some exciting storylines developing,” Glause says. “I look for our student-athletes to continue to put out winning efforts to try to make it to the CNFR.”

On the men’s side, despite finishing second to Gillette College, the Cowboys retained their regional lead over the Pronghorns. Gillette College moved within 85 points of the Cowboys by winning the CSU title with 440 points, while the Cowboys scored 350. UW’s men have 3,765 points through eight combined fall and spring rodeos, while the Pronghorns have 3,680. Casper College sits third in the CRMR standings with 3,265 points.

All four points team members for the Cowgirls scored to boost the club at the CSU rodeo:

-- Riata Day, of Fleming, Colo., split goat tying’s opening round on her way to second in the average.

-- Landry Haugen, from Sturgis, S.D., scored team points in a pair of events. She split third place in the goat tying average and then added breakaway roping points, but she did not place in the average.

-- Josie Mousel, from Egan, S.D., split the opening round of goat tying with Day but did not place in the overall average.

-- Kenna McNeill, of Hobbs, N.M., split fourth-place short go points to place sixth in the barrel racing average.

“It is rewarding and exciting to see all of the ladies’ hard work pay off,” says Jacey Hupp, UW assistant coach. “They are gaining some great momentum to finish the season strong, and they are so deserving.”

Three UW Cowgirls not on last weekend’s points team did well individually. Halle Hladky, from Gillette, and Emme Norsworthy, of Thermopolis, were the runner-up and third-place finisher, respectively, in barrel racing; and Buffalo’s Jordyn McNamee was second in breakaway roping.

Half of the six-man points team for the men led the Cowboys last weekend:

-- Bodie Mattson, of Sturgis, returned to his winning tie down roping ways with a pair of solid runs. He split the opening round’s top time and produced the best short go run, which led to a win in the average.

-- David Gallagher, of Brighton, Colo., recorded the steer wrestlers’ second-fastest run in the opening round, giving him fourth in the overall average.

-- Brice Patterson, of Bozeman, Mont., placed in his third straight rodeo of the spring season, taking fifth in the bareback riding average. He split first place in the opening round.

“The men’s team had a decent weekend. We faced some adversities in the long round, but we were able to bounce back in the short go to take advantage of nearly all of our opportunities,” Glause says. “We just need to keep our foot on the gas and finish strong these last two weeks.”

Several UW Cowboys also did well but were not on last weekend’s points team. Greybull’s Colton Farrow won the bareback riding title on two head; Baker, Mont., Cowboy Jacob Wang also picked up an individual event win, taking the steer wrestling title; and Colter Nunn, of Laramie, became the third UW team member to place first in an event. He combined with Kyler Clark, of Eastern Wyoming College, to capture the team roping title. Quincy Reynolds, of Gillette, and Gillette College’s Trevor Sorge were fourth in the team roping average; and Emmit Ross, of Jackson, placed fifth in the bull riding average.