Laramie River Rendezvous has long tradition

UW American Heritage Center photo

Cowboys have competed in the Laramie River Rendezvous for 60 years.

by Milton Ontiveroz

UW Media Relations

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The Laramie River Rendezvous will celebrate its 60th anniversary this weekend.

The celebration, though, might be a few years late.

Pete Burns and Bill Laycock, who, collectively, probably possess more knowledge about the history of intercollegiate rodeo at the University of Wyoming than anybody else, say the springtime tradition that has featured the likes of Dale Stiles, Jimmi Jo Martin and Todd Suhn over the years is a bit older.

"Oh, I think it's more than 60 years old because we had a rodeo club in 1939 and the first intercollegiate rodeo was in ‘41,'" said Burns, who rodeoed for UW in the late 1940s and then coached the rodeo club for 15 years from 1982-96. "Even if they stopped for a few years during the war (World War II, 1939-45), it's probably been 65 or 66 years."

He adds, "It's been around for a long time and it's always a good show."

The UW club's only annual home event of the Central Rocky Mountain Region (CRMR) season opens Friday and runs through Sunday at the Cliff and Martha Livestock Teaching Arena west of Laramie on Highway 230. Performances begin at 7 p.m. Friday, 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.

The 2009 event will differ dramatically from the inaugural Rendezvous in 1941, which was at the outdoors at Antelope Park and included such events as a Boot and Spur Race, a Girls' Musical Chair Race and a Wild Cow Milking Contest.

Another major difference: UW's first intercollegiate rodeo was a single afternoon affair that featured but two teams: The host school from Laramie and Colorado A&M, now Colorado State University.

The Rendezvous, which now includes men's and women's contestants from 12 schools in Wyoming, Colorado and Nebraska, has since grown into one of Laramie's most popular annual events.

"It's always standing-room only on Saturday night and Sunday," says Laycock, a longtime rodeo club supporter who volunteered his time from 1985-99, first as an announcer and then as club adviser.

Burns says rodeo fans have an added incentive to show up for this year's Rendezvous.

"This girls team is the greatest that's ever been here," he said.

That's especially high praise coming from Burns, who coached three national championship women's teams at UW in the early 1990s, including the ‘91 squad that featured Lori Rhodes, Shanna Newland and Toni Christinck.

A year earlier, Martin single-handedly won the national title for the Cowgirls, earning the goat tying and all-around championships to account for all of UW's team points.

The Cowgirls also won the 1993 college finals.

"We just dominated women's rodeo during that time," Burns said.

The present-day Cowgirls -- fronted by Nikki Steffes, TaNaye Carroll and Sarah Mulholland -- are doing just the same.

Entering its final event of the season, UW leads the national overall standings by nearly 900 points over second-place Cal Poly State University-San Luis Obispo. In the CRMR, the Cowgirls have outpaced their closest rival, Central Wyoming College of Riverton, by a staggering 3,755 points.

Steffes, a molecular biology/medical microbiology senior from Vale, S.D., tops the national all-around standings, sits third in goat tying and ranks sixth in barrel racing.

"This Steffes girl could be a great success in pro rodeo, I really believe that," Burns said. "She's bullet-proof. No nerves. You just can't scare her."

Added Laycock, "She is a hand."

Steffes is just the latest in a long line of UW standouts who have displayed their vast talents at the Rendezvous. From Stiles to Bill Whitney, Suhn to Frank Shepperson, Martin to Jason Miller and Sunnie Fish to Birch Negaard, UW's annual springtime rodeo has featured the rodeo stars of tomorrow for 60 years.

Or how many ever years it's been.

"It's more than 60," Laycock insists.

But who's counting?

Cowboy golfers open MWC in 9th

TUCSON, Ariz. -- After the opening day of competition at the 2009 Mountain West Conference Men’s Golf Championship in Tucson, Ariz., sophomore Zach Zaremba is tied for 12th place after firing a 72 (+1).

The conference championship is being played at OMNI Tucson National Golf Club, which plays to a par of 71 and measures 7,163 yards.

As a team, the Cowboys are currently in ninth place after shooting an opening round 295 (+11). However, the Pokes are within four strokes of four different teams.

Individually, Zaremba is leading the Cowboys with that opening round 72 (+1). Fellow sophomores Phil Henzlik and Mike May are right behind Zaremba after opening round scores of 73 (+2). Henzlik and May are tied for 22nd in the field.

“Things are very tight after today’s round,” Cowboy head coach Joe Jensen said. “We felt like we had three good rounds today but tomorrow we have to have four. In a great field like this, you have to have four guys finish within a couple strokes of even par. We are within four strokes of catching four different teams and with a good round tomorrow we can leap frog some teams.”

In a field that features five teams which are ranked in the top-40 of the latest GolfStat national rankings, TCU jumped out to an early lead with an opening round 276 (-8). San Diego State is currently in second place (283, -1) and are followed by New Mexico (284, E), UNLV (289, +5), Colorado State (291, +7), BYU (291, +7), Utah (291, +7), Air Force (293, +9) and Wyoming (295, +11).

TCU’s Tom Hoge leads the 45-man field after shooting an opening round 67 (-4). He is followed by San Diego State’s Bryan Martin and UNLV’s Ji Moon, each of whom shot an opening round 68 (-3). In all, 11 players shot par or better on Thursday.

The 2009 MWC Championship will continue on Friday with the second round of action. The Cowboys will be paired with Air Force and Utah and will begin teeing-off at 8 a.m. (Mountain Time). Live results can be followed online at www.golfstat.com.
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Wyoming Results
Zach Zaremba, 72 (+1, T 12th)
Phil Henzlik, 73 (+2, T 22nd)
Mike , 73 (+2, T 22nd)
Jared Butler, 77 (+6, T 40th)
Gabe Maier, 77 (+6, T 40th)

Longtime Wyoming and CSU radio announcer Rich Bircumshaw dies

Rich Bircumshaw

Sports fans across the states of Wyoming and Colorado, as well as throughout the Mountain West Conference, were saddened to hear the news of the passing of beloved radio broadcaster Rich Bircumshaw on Wednesday night.

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Bircumshaw, who was a former Wyoming and Colorado Broadcaster of the Year, most recently served as the radio play-by-play announcer for Colorado State University football and men’s basketball.

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Prior to his 10-years announcing CSU games, he was a longtime broadcaster in Riverton and Casper, and served as part of the broadcast team for Wyoming Radio Network coverage of University of Wyoming Athletics.

Bircumshaw suffered a stroke in his sleep on Tuesday night and passed away Wednesday evening at the Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland, Colo.

Having been affiliated with both programs making up the Wyoming-Colorado State rivalry, he had many friends and fans on both sides of the border. Upon his return to Wyoming’s Arena-Auditorium for Wyoming-CSU basketball games, the love Wyoming fans had for him could often be seen as they would come down to the edge of the court to shake his hand, visit with him and share old stories.

Dave Walsh, “Voice of the Wyoming Cowboys”, worked with Bircumshaw on Wyoming broadcasts for years and has many memories of his friend.

“One thing I will remember most about Rich was he made me laugh,” said Walsh. “He had such a great personality, and you always felt better after spending some time with Rich.

“He was a very genuine, honest person off the air, and those traits came across in his broadcasts. No one worked harder at his craft. Over the last 10 years that Rich was at Colorado State, we still talked all the time. On football Saturdays, no matter where each of us were broadcasting from, we would call each other and compare notes.

“Rich was a loveable character, and I will miss him a lot. He was one of a kind.”

University of Wyoming senior associate athletics director Kevin McKinney knew Bircumshaw from his earliest days of broadcasting in Wyoming.

“First and foremost, Rich was a great friend,” said McKinney. “He loved Wyoming, and was beloved by people across this state.

“Rich was the consummate professional. He was always extremely well-prepared, and was always enthusiastic. He had a great wit, and would do anything for his friends. He will be missed by all of us.”

UW Athletics Director Tom Burman remembers Bircumshaw both from Burman’s days in college at UW and then later as an administrator in the Wyoming Athletics Department.

“When I think of Rich, I think of how passionate he was about the teams he covered,” said Burman. “His passion for broadcasting and the pride he took in doing his job well were evident in the success he had over the years and the respect he had from coaches, players and fans.

“Whether it was talking to Rich before a game, or listening to him on the radio, he made me smile.”

Bircumshaw was born in Park City, Utah, on June 30, 1954. He is survived by his wife Wendy Lange, his sister Roberta King, his brother John and sister-in-law Georgia, nephew Christopher, nieces Jennifer and Angela, and many other great nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents Mary D. and Richard F. Bircumshaw of Salt Lake City, Utah.

A memorial service will be held for Bircumshaw on Monday at the 1 p.m. at the Bohlender Funeral Chapel, 121 West Olive, in Fort Collins, Colo. Details of the memorial and donation information follow.

Rich Bircumshaw Arrangements
• Viewing Sunday, 1-5 p.m., Bohlender Funeral Chapel, 121 West Olive, Fort Collins, Colo.
• Memorial service Monday, 1 p.m.; Bohlender Funeral Chapel, 121 West Olive, Fort Collins, Colo.
• In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in the name of Rich Bircumshaw to the Colorado State General Athletic Scholarship Fund. Checks should be made payable to the CSU Foundation, and sent to the Ram Club Office, 101 McGraw Athletic Center; Fort Collins, CO 80523-0120. For more information, call 970/491-4666.

Cowboy golfers to open MWC tournament

The University of Wyoming Cowboy golf team will open the 2009 Mountain West Conference Championship Thursday in Tucson, Ariz.

The three-day tournament will be contested on the Catalina Course at OMNI Tucson National Golf Club. A single round of 18 holes will be played each day with tee-times beginning at 8 a.m. (Mountain Time).

The Catalina Course plays to a par of 71 and measures 7,163 yards. This marks the third consecutive year that the MWC Championship has been contested at OMNI Tucson National. The Cowboys also played the Catalina course earlier this spring when they participated in Arizona’s National Invitational Tournament.

“We are excited to be here, but we’ve got to step it up this weekend,” UW head coach Joe Jensen said. “I love this group of kids and I am excited about them, but it is time to start putting it all together. We are disappointed in how we have played this spring, but with that said there are a lot of positive things that are happening to this young team. We have a very tough conference, but hopefully we can get it together for three days and see where we stand.”

The Cowboys’ conference championship lineup will consist of four sophomores and one junior. Those sophomores include Phil Henzlik, Gabe Maier, Mike May and Zach Zaremba, while Jared Butler is the lone junior. Each of the four sophomores has played in all 11 tournaments of the 2008-09 season.

In terms of stroke average, Zaremba has been the top Cowboy this season with an average of 74.94 over his 33 rounds. He also has the team’s highest tournament finish of the year, a fourth place showing at the 2008 Air Force Falcon Invite. Maier has the team’s second best stroke average at 75.63.

“We have played well for about 17 holes a round or had two or three guys play well at the same time, we just haven’t put it all together at once,” Jensen said. “We have the attitude that it will all come together soon, and we are hoping it happens this weekend. This is the second time we have seen this property this season and the third time in our careers, so hopefully that will help.”

Of the nine MWC teams that will be participating in the 2009 conference championships, five are currently ranked in the Top-40 of the latest GolfStat rankings. Those ranked teams include No. 17 TCU, No. 22 San Diego State, No. 24 UNLV, No. 33 Colorado State and No. 39 New Mexico.

Colorado State is the defending league champion, as the Rams won their first MWC title last season. The defending individual champion, Eddie Olson of UNLV, will be looking to defend his title from 2008.

The Cowboys will be paired with Utah and Air Force during Thursday’s opening round. The three teams will begin teeing-off at 9:40 a.m. (Mountain Time).

Live stats of the entire tournament can be followed online with GolfStat at www.golfstat.com.

Cowgirls sign South Dakota golfer

- University of Wyoming women’s head coach Josey Stender has announced the signing of Taylor Smalley to a national letter of intent to join the Cowgirls golf team in the 2009-10 season.
Smalley comes to Wyoming from Pierre, S.D., and T.F. Riggs High School where she is a two sport athlete. Smalley lettered once in volleyball, and all-four years in golf.

“We are very excited to welcome Taylor to Wyoming,” Stender said. “She doesn’t have a lot of national exposure, but she is a very good regional talent that we have had success with in the past.”

During her golf career she became the only T.F Riggs Lady Governor to have won the conference championship and the first ever student-athlete to become the State AA champion for her high school. Both of these achievements occurred during Smalley’s junior year.

Smalley also earned the South Dakota Golf Association Junior Female Golfer of the Year for 2008, along with winning the South Dakota Golf Association Junior Championship with her opening round 69 that broke the women’s course record.

“Smalley will be a great addition to our team as she is a student of the game and very coachable,” said Stender.

Steffes strong as ever after injury

UW photo

University of Wyoming rodeo club team member Nikki Steffes is the region's top barrel racer. She and her Cowgirl teammates will be in action this weekend for the home Laramie River Rendezvous Rodeo at the indoor Cliff and Martha Hansen Livestock Teaching Arena.

by UW News Service

Not even a separated shoulder could stop Nikki Steffes, the University of Wyoming's best all-around performer, from entering last season's College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR).

A week before the 2008 CNFR, Steffes, a molecular biology/medical microbiology senior from Vale, S.D., was bucked off a practice horse, separating a joint on her right shoulder. Not many people knew about the injury, including her own coach, George Howard.

The competitor she is in the arena, the tall, lanky Steffes gutted out the week and finished second in the CNFR goat tying competition for the second straight year.

She never used the injury as an excuse for her performances. Many people thought she took most of the summer off from rodeo competition because of her second straight goat tying runner-up finish at the college finals. But she wanted to let the injury heal before her senior season at UW.

"I'm not really going to blame my shoulder for what happened last year, it may have had some effect, but I tried to take care of it that week and I tried the best that I could," she said.

Steffes' best is a lot better than that of most injury-free rodeo contestants.

"But to tell you the truth, I definitely needed a break from rodeo after last summer's CNFR, that's for sure," she said.

That drive and determination, in and out of the rodeo arena, is what pushes Steffes to succeed. Her long-range plans are to enter the medical field after giving the professional rodeo circuit two years of her life after completing her UW career. She wants to be either a doctor or a dentist -- a tough medical field for anyone to break into, but Steffes has made the UW President's honor roll (for a perfect 4.0 grade point average) each semester she's been on campus.

Not only is she smart, she's arguably the best rodeo athlete in the tradition-rich UW women's program history. You won't get any argument from her coach.

"Nikki is the most unbelievable rodeo athlete I've seen or been around," Howard said. He has been at UW 11 years, and before that for nearly 20 at Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford. That's a strong statement considering the name Jimmie Jo Martin comes to mind to those around the UW Cowgirl program.

In the early 1990s, Martin single-handily led the Cowgirls to the national championship, winning the goat tying and all-around titles. Some long-time rodeo fans say Steffes is the best anyone has seen at UW.

She won the national all-around title as a sophomore and has been the CNFR goat tying runner-up two years in a row. She's won the Central Rocky Mountain Region (CRMR) all-around title three straight years and also barrel racing each of her three seasons at UW. She's twice been the regional goat tying champion.

Steffes is the current national all-around points leader, is third in the goat tying competition and is ranked sixth in barrel racing. She is this season's CRMR barrel racing and all-around leader, is second in goat tying and third in breakaway roping.

And, oh yes, Steffes and her teammates have locked up their third consecutive regional team title. Plus, the Cowgirls are the nation's best team, leading with 5,620 points, nearly 900 points ahead of Cal Poly State University San Luis Obispo. The UW women are running away with the regional championship, holding nearly a 3,800 point lead against rival Central Wyoming College.

All Steffes wanted was to do a little rodeo for UW when Howard first recruited her out of high school. She loved the academics that the university offered.

"When she came for her UW visit, she decided to stay," Howard said of his prize recruit. But he never expected Steffes to become his best rodeo athlete ever. "I never thought that she would develop this much. You never know what will happen when you recruit someone to compete on this level and you just hope things go like this. What she has done is just phenomenal."

She's also a humble person and knows that rodeo can knock a competitor down in a split second. Or, in her case, a tenth of a second.

That's the margin of time separating Steffes from becoming a two-time national goat tying champion. Two years ago she was the runner-up to teammate Kayla Nelson and last summer it was that same margin that cruelly dropped her to second in the national standings.

"I won't lie and say it didn't hurt more the second year that it happened because all I could think was ‘dang it,'" she said. "But to be there two years in a row and have that opportunity is still definitely a big accomplishment for me."

As a fierce competitor, Steffes' goal is to win that elusive national goat tying championship or any title. She's almost a lock to qualify in all three women's rodeo events for the CNFR.

After she and her senior teammates, TaNaye Carroll, kinesiology, from La Junta, Colo., and Sarah Mulholland, nursing, Richland Center, Wis., finished fourth at last year's CNFR after going into the short go as the national leaders, they vowed to make their final season a memorable one.

They are the top three goat tiers in the region, with Carroll leading, and Mulholland is the region's best breakaway roper. Carroll is ranked second in the nation in goat tying and Mulholland is fifth nationally in her specialty event.

Two years ago with different teammates, Steffes was part of the national champion UW women's team, the fourth title in the program's history.

"When you have teammates such as Sarah and TaNaye, and all of us being seniors, we know what it takes to win. Our level of confidence is so high because we have all individually been to three CNFRs," she said. "Practicing with each other the last two years has increased our competitiveness so much. When you practice with the region's best each day, it just makes you step up to that level even more and makes you an even better competitor."

This weekend will be Steffes' last appearance at the home Laramie River Rendezvous Rodeo, but she'll be back next season competing as an individual. She is the student regional director, which gives her the chance to compete a fifth year. However, any points she earns will not count toward the Cowgirls' output.

Too bad, because everyone knows this rodeo competitor can rack up the points every time she steps into the arena.

Cowgirl rodeo remains perfect

There is no stopping the University of Wyoming women's rodeo team on its way toward a perfect Central Rocky Mountain Region (CRMR) season.

The Cowgirls have just this weekend's (May 1-3) Laramie River Rendezvous Rodeo before taking aim at their ultimate goal: The College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) in June at the Casper Events Center. That is what the team has worked for the entire fall and spring rodeo seasons since coming up short as repeat CNFR champions last summer.

The UW women two years ago won the program's fourth national title. The Cowgirls led last year's event going into the short go, but had a disappointing championship round to fall to fourth place overall. With the same trio intact this season, the Cowgirls have led the CRMR since the opening rodeo in September and have put together a run that has pushed them atop the overall national standings.

Those same three team members, all seniors, Nikki Steffes, TaNaye Carroll and Sarah Mulholland, worked their individual skills once again to lead the UW women to another one-sided win last weekend at the Northeastern Junior College (NJC) rodeo in Sterling, Colo.

The Cowgirls scored 615 team points with half coming in goat tying where the Cowgirls have the region's top three individuals to outdistance runner-up Eastern Wyoming College (EWC) by 250 points. Third place went to the Central Wyoming College (CWC) with 225 points.

Steffes, a molecular biology senior from Vale, S.D., won the all-around title again, an accomplishment she's successfully completed at each CRMR rodeo this season. She is also the national points leader and won the CNFR all-around title as a sophomore. The UW program's all-time leading points producer scored in each of the three women's events at last weekend's rodeo.
She won the breakaway roping event, placed third in goat tying and fourth in barrel racing.

Carroll, a kinesiology senior from La Junta, Colo., and the CRMR goat tying leader, won the average Sunday. Mulholland, a nursing student from Richland Center, Wis., split third place in breakaway roping and added goat tying points when she placed sixth in the short go.

The UW men solidified a spot in the CNFR as a team by placing second at the NJC rodeo. Only the top two teams from each of the nation's regions gain a berth to the season-ending event.
Season-long regional leader, CWC, scored heavily in the two horseback riding events to pile up 610 points compared to UW's 415, just five points better than third-place Gillette College.

The bulk of the Cowboys' points came in saddle bronc and bareback riding. Merritt Smith, an animal science sophomore from Gillette, split second in the saddle bronc riding average, while Bucky Dickson, a kinesiology sophomore from Sequim, Wash., placed third in the bareback competition.

The team also received production in a pair of timed events. Bulldogger Troy Brandemuehl, a wildlife biology senior from Gordon, Neb., turned his steer over quick enough to win the short go and placed second overall in the average. Teammate Chad Nelson, an agricultural business senior from Buffalo, S.D., qualified for the tie down roping short go, as did Smith, but both had no-times in the championship round. Smith finished second in the all-around competition to Gillette College's Cheyenne Seymour.

UW's only annual home event, the Laramie River Rendezvous Rodeo in the indoor Cliff and Martha Hansen Livestock Arena, begins at 7 p.m. Friday, May 1. Two performances are scheduled Saturday at 1 and 7 p.m. The short go Sunday begins at 1 p.m.Listed are the team scores from the NJC rodeo and also the top six individuals in the average:
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Women's team scores -- University of Wyoming (UW) 615; Eastern Wyoming College (EWC) 365; Central Wyoming College (CWC) 225; Sheridan College (SC) 120; Gillette College (GC) and Laramie County Community College (LCCC) 90; Lamar Community College (LCC) 5.
Men's team scores -- CWC 610; UW, 415; GC 410; NJC 370; Casper College (CC) 345; Colorado State University (CSU) 210; EWC 145l LCCC 110; LCC 90; Chadron State College (CSC) 80; Sheridan College (SC) 55.
Barrel racing -- Josie Davison, EWC, 36.62; Annie Novotny, SC, 36.87; Jessi Cates, GC, 36.89; Nikki Steffes, UW, 36.91; Michelle Robinson, GC, 36.93; KayTee Schaffer, LCCC, 36.95.
Breakaway roping -- Nikki Steffes, UW, 6.1; Chelsea Moore, CWC, 6.2; Sarah Mulholland and Heather Bregar, both UW, 6.6; Andie Cross, EWC, 7; Britta O'Keeffe, UW, 7.6.
Goat tying -- TaNaye Carroll, UW 17; Kaylee Moyer, EWC, 17.3; Nikki Steffes, UW, 17.8; Jessica Picchietti, CWC, 18.1; Traci Hinman, CWC, 18.4; Sarah Mulholland, UW, 18.7.
Saddle bronc riding -- Lane Sterling, GC, 143; Merritt Smith, UW, and Blaze Hamaker, CWC, 141; Chancy Miller, GC, 139; J.W. Moore, CC, 140.
Bareback riding -- Bryan Jones, CWC, 150; Ty Breuer, CWC, 148; Bucky Dickson, UW, 142; Whitten Hoover, CSC, 138; Cheyenne Seymour, GC, 138;Troy Bechen, CC, 126.
Bull riding -- Justin Ellis, CWC, 131, only rider on two.
Tie down roping -- Joey Dickens, CSU, 20; Brady Graff, EWC, 21.4; Jim Roedeske, CC, 22.1; Riley Warren, CWC, 22.9; Beau Miller, GC, 30.1 Kyle Broce, NJC, 30.2.
Steer wrestling -- J.W. Lorenz, CWC, 12.3; Troy Brandemuehl, UW, 12.4; Cole Dorenkamp, LCC, 13.9; Seth Bolerjack, UW, 15.6; Cheyenne Seymour, GC, 16.1; Cameron Trimber, UW, 16.3.
Team roping -- Justin Smith/Cody Merritt, EWC, 14.1; Will Smith, UW/Cody McClusky, NJC, 17.1; O.J. Huxtable/Dustin Smith, CC, 27.2; Trice Watts/T.J. Watts, NJC, 29.6; Chase Dodson/Blake Henry, UW, 34.8; Tyrel Schroth/Tyrel Bonnet, SC, 38.8.