Cowgirl rodeo sets scoring record

by UW Medias Relations

A week after taking over the national overall lead, the University of Wyoming Cowgirls set a school record for the most points ever scored in a single rodeo.

At least weekend’s Chadron State College (CSC) rodeo in Crawford, Neb., the UW Cowgirls piled up an unheard of (for women’s rodeo) 725 points. This more than doubled the second place efforts of Central Wyoming College (CWC), which had 350.

The Cowgirls’ domination in the Central Rocky Mountain Region (CRMR) continued when the UW women won for the fourth straight week, giving the team 2,440 points on the season with just this weekend’s rodeo at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne left on the fall slate. Gillette College (GC) is a distant second in the CRMR standings -- 1,230 points back.
Overshadowed by the UW women’s season-long dominating performance is the effort being turned in by their male counterparts. The Cowboys won for the second time in four fall rodeos, splitting first place with GC at last weekend’s CSC. Both UW and the Pronghorns scored 495 points. The points gave the Cowboys 1,785 on the season, putting UW at the overall CRMR lead by 210 points over four-time champion CWC.

Teams are finding out the UW women’s steady performances are due not only to their three seniors, but a fourth member that gives Coach George Howard perhaps the nation’s strongest lineup.

Two years ago the Cowgirls won the national title and were on their way to repeating last summer, but stumbled in the short go at the College National Finals Rodeo and slipped to fourth place.

With the three-women team back intact, the Cowgirls just needed to add that fourth person to the lineup. Lander kinesiology freshman, Heather Bregar, has stepped up to contribute points in three of her first four collegiate starts.

Howard said earlier in the season that his senior trio of Nikki Steffes, Sarah Mulholland and TaNaye Carroll will score points, which takes off the pressure on Bregar. That was the case at Chadron State.

The Cowgirls won two of the three women’s events, but all four UW team members added plenty of points after the short go to give the women the most dominating performance in school history.

It started with Steffes, a molecular biology senior from Vale, S.D., in barrel racing where she won the short go and also the average. Next up came Mulholland, a nursing senior from Richland Center, Wis., who was the breakaway roping runner-up, while Steffes was one place back.
And finally, the Cowgirls put three team members in the overall top six in the goat tying average. Carroll, a kinesiology senior from La Junta, Colo., won both goat tying rounds to win the average, while Mulholland finish second. Bregar came through in a supporting role by adding sixth-place average points.

Mulholland’s high placing in two separate events gave her the all-around title over Steffes.
For the season, Carroll, Mulholland and Steffes are ranked first through third in the overall CRMR goat tying event. Steffes is a close second in the overall barrel racing points chase and is also sitting second in breakaway roping.

The Cowboys scored more than half their team points in a pair of roughstock events.
Bucky Dickson, kinesiology sophomore from Sequim, Wash., had a pair of solid rides to win the bareback event for the first time this season. Overall regional saddle bronc leader, Merritt Smith, animal science, Gillette, placed second, giving him either first or second in the fall season’s first four rodeos.

The Cowboys, who placed first for the second time this season, scored in just one other event – steer wrestling. Troy Brandemuehl, Gordon, Neb., wildlife biology senior, was the bulldogging runner-up, while teammate Seth Bolerjack, geophysics junior, Gillette, added fourth place points in the average.

The team suffered a major blow when senior John Franzen, communications senior from Riverton, suffered a torn knee again two weeks ago -- the same knee that was reconstructed two seasons ago. He was the team’s top steer wrestler.

Lamar Community College’s Cole Dorenkamp was the CSC rodeo’s all-around winner.
The fall portion of the CRMR schedule closes this weekend in Cheyenne for the annual Shane Dubie Memorial Rodeo at LCCC.
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Women’s team scores -- University of Wyoming (UW), 725; Central Wyoming College (CWC), 350; Gillette College (GC), 280; Chadron State College (CSC), 185; Casper College (CC), 60; Lamar Community College (LCC), 35; Eastern Wyoming (EWC), and Laramie County Community College (LCCC), both 20.
Men’s team scores -- UW and GC, 495; NJC, 410; LCC, 330; CC and CWC, both 240; CSU, 160; EWC, 150; CSC, 145; LCCC, 40; Sheridan College (SC), 10.
Barrel racing -- Nikki Steffes, UW, 33.97; Michelle Robinson, GC, 33.98; Jessica Picchietti, CWC, 34.22; Amanda Welch, GC, 34.43; Codi Guthrie, UW, 34.53; Chelsea Moore, CWC, 34.60.
Breakaway roping -- Kelsey Scott, CSC, 5.9; Sarah Mulholland, UW, 6.5; Nicki Steffes, UW, 7.1; Cassie Godfrey, NJC, 7.6; Kacy Hatten, UW, 7.7; KayTee Schaffer, LCCC, 16.5.
Goat tying -- TaNaye Carroll, UW, 17.4; Sarah Mulholland, UW, 18.1; Lacey Tech, CWC, 18.7; Kiley Scott, CC, 19.2; Chelsea Moore, CWC, and Heather Bregar, UW, both 19.3.
Saddle bronc riding -- Cole Elshere, GC, 152; Merritt Smith, UW, 151; Travis Darling, CC, 145; Blaze Hamaker, CWC, 143; Chance Darling, CC, 129; Riley Knoll, CWC, 123.
Bareback riding -- Bucky Dickson, UW, 145; Whitten Hoover, CSC, 144; Cheyenne Seymour, GC, 142; Ty Breuer, CWC, 139; Troy Brechen, CC, 136; Bryan Jones, CWC, 135.
Bull riding -- Cameron Weddle, NJC, 76; Doug Dillon, CSU, 75; Douglas Owen, UW, 70; Quin Hiser, CC, 69. All on one.
Tie down roping -- Cole Dorenkamp, LCC, 21.1; Cameron Weddle, NJC, 21.6; Caleb Adle, NJC, 24.4; Mitch McAdow, NJC, 23.7; Brady Graff, Cody McCluskey, NJC, 27.2.
Steer wrestling -- Levi Gorsuch, NJC, 9.1; Troy Brandemuehl, UW, 9.6; Troy Teague, CC, 10.1; Chason Floyd, GC, 10.4; Matt Hollan, LCCC, 11.6; Tyrel Larson, CC, 12.3.
Team roping -- T J Teague, UW/Troy Teague, CC, 14.2; Chad Nelson, UW/Beau Miller, GC, 15.1; Jessica Picchietti/Chelsea Moore, CWC, 23.4; Austin Laramore, Regis College/Taylor Thompson, NJC, 24.5; Cole Dorenkamp, LCC/Quincey Opela, EWC, 37.1.