Both UW Rodeo Teams 10th in CNFR Standings

Both University of Wyoming teams are 10th in their respective divisions heading into the College National Finals Rodeo’s (CNFR) third and final round in Casper.

Tuesday marked the first of four third-round nightly performances, with the top 12 times and scores in the men’s and women’s competitions earning bids to Saturday night’s championship finals.

The Cowboys broke into the top 10 the past two days, scoring 175 team points, trailing front-running Clarendon College, in Childress, Texas, which has 380 points. In fact, three Texas colleges occupy the top three positions in the team race. Tarleton State University, in Stephenville, is second with 270 points, and Texas A&M University, in College Station, is third at 245.

The UW Cowgirls, who placed third in the nation a year ago, have made their way to the 10th spot with 75 points. The University of West Alabama, the defending CNFR champion, again is on top of the pack with 330 points, followed by Tarleton State University with 270 points, and in a close third with 245 points is Texas A&M.

At the start of the third round, just two UW team members were in competition Tuesday night.

Landry Haugen has been snake-bitten this week in breakaway roping. The Sturgis, S.D., freshman missed on her first two rounds but ended her first CNFR with a 2.8-second third run. The mixed results have not shaken her confidence.

“I plan on being back every year. So, it was a great learning experience for sure this week,” she says. “The best part about it was probably that I got one down on my third one so that when I come back next year I can go out with confidence. That would be great.”

Saratoga’s Kaden Berger had two good steer wrestling runs, but in between he came up empty to throw him out of the running for a short-go bid. In his final CNFR run this week, the senior stopped the clock in 5.7 seconds. He opened the week earlier with a 7.2.

Bull rider Emmit Ross, of Jackson, was scheduled to compete Tuesday in his last ride but was scratched because of an injury. He recorded no marks in the first two rounds.

Two UW Cowboys will be up Wednesday night, Cam Jensen in steer wrestling and team roper Weston Mills, of Gillette, and partner Coy Johnson, of Gillette College.