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UWs Anderson Qualifies for CNFR Finals; Hageman is Close

When the arena announcer blared that Amelia Anderson needed a 6.3-second or faster run to take the goat tying national lead, the University of Wyoming senior admitted it was not something she wanted to hear.

She tried blocking all that out and then recorded a good enough qualifying time of 6.7 seconds in her third and final round at the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) at the Casper Events Center.

Her three-head time of 19.8 seconds puts her smack in the running for a national title Saturday night. Her three-round time is among the top five in her favorite event.

Anderson’s efforts have helped propel the Cowgirls to a four-way split of fourth place during the third go round. The team has 165 points, but that could change with two nights of competition left before the finals.

Sam Houston State University is running away with the women’s title with 325 points. The Cowgirls are just 10 points out of third place, trailing the University of Tennessee-Martin.

“I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I was going to be tonight, and it actually went better than I thought it would be,” she says.

The Forsyth, Mont., senior says she knew she had a good run going, but she fumbled a bit with her goat string on her second tie on the goat’s legs.

“I was trying not to think about the time needed to take the lead. The more I think about it, the more nervous I get,” she says. “If I just go out there and make the run I need, it usually works out better. I really do like my chances to come back Saturday night. I’m pretty sure that I have qualified.”

This will be Anderson’s first trip to the short go, which is for the 12 best times and scores in each event from the three rounds of competition this week.

She will join teammate Kailee Webb, who remains the national barrel racing leader with just two sections of racers left.

For a cowboy who has been riding saddle broncs for only three years, Wyatt Hageman just may qualify for the championship round Saturday night.

The Jay Em junior rode “Heaven’s Seat” to 69.5 points Wednesday night to mark on two of his three head. He has scored 140.5 points on two, which currently puts him fourth in the average. Just one competitor has marked in all three rounds.

With just two sections of saddle bronc riders left this week, Hageman’s chances of qualifying for the short go look good.

Before the rodeo began, Hageman says he knew that “Heaven’s Seat” would be a good bucking horse.

“I was pretty pleased with that score, and I really liked that horse,” Hageman says. “I just watched him in the slack earlier, and I knew what he was going to do. He looked really nice, and he was. I like my chances to make the finals, and I am really hoping I do.”

Hageman was bucked off on his first ride and marked 71 points Monday. Not bad for a bronc rider who never rode while being an all-around athlete at Lingle High School. He won a state wrestling title his senior season for the Doggers.

“I wanted to ride broncs one summer and signed up for a riding school in Kaycee,” he says.

Once he got into college, he started competing. And now, he just has to watch the next two nights to reach the pinnacle of his event.

The Cowboys are 18th in the team standings with 145 points. Panhandle State University (Goodwell, Okla.) leads the pack with 460 points.

Only one other UW team member competed Wednesday night: freshman Cori Terry in goat tying.

The first-year Cowgirl, who was second in the region this past season, struggled all week in her first CNFR. In her third round, the McKinnon native stumbled dismounting her horse, then fumbled with her goat string, leaving her with a time of 11.5 seconds.

Finishing their third run Thursday, and still in contention, will be UW’s Denton and Dusty Taylor in team roping.

 

 

Contact Us

Institutional Communications
Bureau of Mines Building, Room 137
Laramie, WY 82071
Phone: (307) 766-2929
Email: cbaldwin@uwyo.edu


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