Cowboys win Sheridan rodeo

By UW Media Relations

It's been a long time coming for the University of Wyoming men's rodeo team, but the Cowgirls are used to winning each week.

Using a balanced lineup, the UW Cowboys claimed their first victory since last April by capturing the team title Sunday at the Sheridan College rodeo. The Cowboys had their best showing in more than a year by piling up 595 points to easily outdistance second place Lamar Community College by 235 points.

The UW men jumped to the overall Central Rocky Mountain Region (CRMR) lead -- a position they have not held in more than four years.

The Cowgirls, with a strong, balanced starting lineup, continued to dominate the CRMR, but this time around found a new challenger in second-year program Gillette College. The Cowgirls scored 565 points when all four team members placed in the average in their respective events, but the Pronghorns were not far behind with 400 points. The UW women, winners of 11 of the past 12 regional rodeos the last two seasons, and are gunning for their fourth consecutive CRMR title.

Last year, the UW men struggled for much of the season and had to come from behind the last two weeks of the regular season just to qualify for the College National Finals Rodeo. Their fate wasn't determined until the final day of the season.

But they made it easier on themselves last weekend by using surprising depth to win in Sheridan. The team scored in five of the six events for its first victory of the fall season. They did it without winning a single event.

But teammates John Franzen and Tyler Viles -- a couple of Wyoming roping hands from Riverton and Cody, respectively -- picked up valuable points in two different events. While another in-state native, Merritt Smith, an animal science sophomore from Gillette, added runner-up points.

Franzen, a communications senior, combined with team roping partner Jason Hubbard, agricultural education senior from Wheatland, to finish second in the event. Viles, a finance senior, was third in tie down roping and picked up more points in team roping. Smith, the saddle bronc riding regional leader, had another successful weekend, finishing out of first place by a single point.

Bareback rider Bucky Dickson, a kinesiology sophomore from Sequim, Wash., placed fourth in the average and Franzen closed out the Cowboys' scoring by reaching the bulldogging short go.
Both Franzen and Hubbard shared the all-around title when both picked up points in two different events.

The bulk of the Cowgirls' points came in just one event -- goat tying -- when the UW women claimed the top three positions. Sarah Mulholland, a nursing senior from Richland Center, Wis., TaNaye Carroll, kinesiology senior, LaJunta, Colo., and Lander kinesiology freshman Heather Bregar, went 1-2-3 to score a whopping 400 points.

Defending barrel racing champion Nikki Steffes, a molecular biology senior from Vale, S.D., was fifth in the average; the same position in breakaway roping. She was the all-around runner-up to Gillette College's Anna Haaland.

UW will compete at the Lamar Community College rodeo this weekend.

Listed are the team scores and the top six individuals in the average:
Women's team scores -- University of Wyoming (UW), 565; Gillette College (GC), 400; Eastern Wyoming College (EWC), 140; Northeastern Junior College (NJC), 130; Chadron State College (CSC), 100; Sheridan College (SC), and Central Wyoming College (CWC), 85; Laramie County Community College (LCCC); 30; Lamar Community College (LCC), 10.
Men's team scores -- UW, 595; LCC, 360; EWC, 330 CWC, 320; Casper College (CC), 310; GC, 255; NJC, 235; SC, 125; CSC, 60; Colorado State University (CSU), 10.
Barrel racing -- Amanda Welch, GC, 35.53; Hannah Mills, NJC, 35.55; Michelle Robinson, GC, 35.56; Sydney Hettinger, UW, 35.69; Nikki Steffes UW, 35.69; Jessica Picchietti, CWC, 35.85.
Breakaway roping -- Tycie Kinsella, SC, 6.1; Anna Haaland, GC, 6.4; Kacy Hatten, UW, 6.8; Nikki Steffes, UW, 6.9; Crystal Wortman, EWC, 6.7.
Goat tying -- Sarah Mulholland, UW, 15.9; TaNaye Carroll, UW, 16; Heather Bregar, UW, and Lacey Schuelke, SC, both 16.6; Kelsey Scott, CSC, 16.8; Jessica Picchietti, CWC, 17.3.
Saddle bronc riding -- Travis Darling, CC, 144; Merritt Smith, UW, 143;Garet Groshans, EWC, 111, all on two.
Bareback riding -- Bryan Jones, CWC, 149; Paul Palczewski, GC, 144; Tucker Bringle, GC, 140; Bucky Dickson, UW, 132; John Garman, SC, 106, all on two.
Bull riding -- Lane Lindsay, EWC, 144; Jayden Hansen, GC, 139, both on two.
Tie down roping -- Brice Ingo, LCC, 21.1; Tyler Viles, UW, 22.3; Clay Edgar, EWC, 22.9; Dustin Smith, CC, 23.2; Troy Brandemuehl, UW, 24.3, all on two.
Steer wrestling -- Jake Colletti, LCC, 10.5; Tyrel Bonnet, SC, 10.4; Cole Dorenkamp, LCC, 12.2; Tanner Lauing, CSC, 13.2; Kyle Broce, NJC, 33.8; Logan McDonald, EWC, 48.5.
Team roping -- Anna Haaland/Clay Johnson, GC, 16.1; John Franzen/Jason Hubbard, UW, 21.7; Trice Watts/T. J. Watts, NJC, 16.6; Cody McCluskey, Brice Simmons, NJC, 23.9; Brad Schieck, CWC/Ryan Orndorf, CC, 24; Kelcee Dickman/Thomas Storkel, LCCC, 47.6.