UW Rodeo Teams Off to a Slow Spring Start

University of Wyoming rodeo Coach George Howard had hoped for a better start for his teams when the spring season began last weekend.

The UW men dropped from second place in the overall Central Rocky Mountain Region (CRMR) standings to fourth after a tough opening spring season rodeo at Gillette College. The Pokes scored just 110 points to finish 10th in the team standings.

To make matters worse, the Cowboys lost another team member for the season when steer wrestler Tylor Bond, a senior from Avondale, Colo., tore his ACL. UW junior Dillon Simonson of Purdum, Neb., the region’s second-best bulldogger after the fall season, also suffered a year-ending knee injury in a pro rodeo event during the off-season.

Chadron State College dominated last weekend’s Gillette College rodeo with 680 points, while Casper College placed second with 385 points and Laramie County Community College (LCCC) came in third with 280 points.

The Pokes scored in just two events, with most of the points coming in saddle bronc riding. Senior Brady Dinwoodie, a transfer from Canada, placed third in the average to score 100 team points. The final 10 came from Jaden Clark, a Wellfleet, Neb., sophomore, who was sixth in the bareback riding average.

The CRMR standings are tightly packed among the top four teams. The host Pronghorns also got off to a slow start last weekend and have 2,315 points after six rodeos to lead the fourth-place Pokes by just 210 points. Chadron State jumped into contention, taking over the runner-up positon from the Cowboys with 2,220 points. Casper College remains third with 2,140.

The UW Cowgirls had an even tougher weekend than their male counterparts, failing to score any team points at the Gillette College opener. It’s the third time in six rodeos that the UW women have failed to get on the scoreboard.

Season-long leader Gillette College won its home rodeo with 675 points, while the LCCC women were second with 315. For the season, the Lady Pronghorns lead the women’s region with 2,540 points to easily outdistance runner-up Northeastern Junior College, which has 1,286 team points.

The UW women remain in 10th place in the CRMR with 260 points.

Five other UW rodeo team members placed in the average at last weekend’s rodeo, but their points did not count; they were not selected before the competition to be among the six-man and four-woman UW teams.

Hunter Christensen from Alta split the steer wrestling average, while Riverton’s Avery Jamerman placed sixth in the average. Team roper Reed Merritt from Greeley, Colo., was fourth in the average with partner Cash Merritt from LCCC.

For the Cowgirls, Josee Vogel of Pavillion split fourth place in the goat tying competition, and teammate Kailee Webb of Isabel, S.D., split sixth place in barrel racing.

The next competition is this weekend’s regional rodeo at Eastern Wyoming College in Torrington.

For individual and team results from the Gillette College rodeo, click here.

For regional results, click here.