UW Rodeo Sweep at CWC Gives Regional Lead to Both Cowgirls, Cowboys

Nine of the University of Wyoming’s 10 points team members scored during the Central Wyoming College (CWC) rodeo in Riverton, helping the Cowgirls and Cowboys sweep the overall titles last weekend.

It was another dominating performance for the UW women, who recorded their second straight Central Rocky Mountain Region (CRMR) win in as many weeks to more than double their lead in the women’s standings.

The Cowgirls -- even better at CWC than the CRMR opener two weeks ago -- scored 632 points on the strength of one individual win and a pair of second places in the other two women’s events. That has given the women 1,187.83 points on the season, with three competitions left on the fall schedule.

UW’s domination over second-place Gillette College was more than double at CWC than the week before, and the overall regional standings reflect it. The Pronghorns scored 312 points last weekend and have 557.83 total points. Eastern Wyoming College was third in the latest regional rodeo with 100 points, and CWC is third in the CRMR standings with 190 points through two rodeos.

The Cowboys, meanwhile, showed improvement from the previous week, winning for the first time with 615 points as the UW men surpassed Gillette College for the overall regional lead. The Pronghorns had 520 points at CWC and now trail the Pokes’ 995 total regional points by five. Sheridan College was third last weekend with 430 points and now stands third in the CRMR with 785.

“We’re very proud of both squads with the effort this weekend,” UW Coach Seth Glause says. “Conditions for the short go were not ideal, but we showed up and competed well and came away with the wins. It was great that our students on the points teams performed really well.”

For the second straight weekend, the Cowgirls had the winning all-around competitor and, for the second time, it was a different UW team member. Layni Stevens, from St. Lawrence, S.D., scored in all three women’s events to put up 192 points for the Cowgirls. She had the second-best breakaway roping short-go time that gave her second place in the average, and Stevens also was fourth in goat tying and sixth in the barrel racing average.

Reigning national goat tying champion Josie Mousel, of Colman, S.D., continued her quest to repeat, winning the CWC event after splitting the opening round’s top time with teammate Landry Haugen. Mousel then sealed the event title by winning the short go.

Haugen, from Sturgis, S.D., was sixth in the goat tying average and then added team points when she combined with UW Cowboy JT Lantis, from Hershey, Neb., to place fifth in team roping.

Gillette’s Shayda Lesmeister broke onto the points team with a second-place effort in the barrel racing competition on the strength of the second-best times in both rounds of competition.

A pair of Cowgirls also placed last weekend. Sydney Oedekoven, from Gillette, was fifth in barrel racing, and Caysen Gran, of Kennebec, S.D., took sixth in the breakaway roping average.

A pair of Cowboy State bronc riders both won their respective events to lead the Cowboys at CWC.

Pinedale’s Eian Smith won the bareback riding title after marking the second-best score in the opening round and then won the short go. Teammate Colby Smith, from Burns, had the top opening-round mark in saddle bronc riding, vaulting him to the win in the average.

Carter Hutchinson, of Rozet, was fourth in both tie-down roping and steer wrestling; Tate Talkington, from Scottsbluff, Neb., picked up fifth-place points in tie-down roping; and teammate Treg Thorstenson, of Lantry, S.D., split sixth in the same event.

Another UW men’s team member also placed in the weekend rodeo. Bohdi Coombs, from Wellington, Colo., was the steer wrestling runner-up.

Sheridan College hosts this weekend’s CRMR rodeo.