CNFR Sets Field for Championship Saturday

CASPER, Wyo. – Friday night’s performance at the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) set the stage for the crowning of the 2023 champions in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association.

The third round of preliminary competition was completed, scores and times added together, to determine who would advance to Saturday’s championship round. The top 12 athletes in each of the nine events have the opportunity to advance to Saturday night’s rodeo for the final round. In this year’s bull riding, only six competitors were successful enough in preliminary competition to advance.

Approximately 400 student athletes from more than 100 institutions of higher learning converged in Casper for the week-long competition that began June 10. When the dust settles Saturday night, new champions will be crowned in the nine individual events, men’s and women’s all-around and rookie of the year categories and national men’s and women’s championship teams.

Fans saw the biggest changes in the saddle bronc riding where six of the 11 cowboys who rode Friday night punched their ticket to Saturday’s finals. Leading the charge was Quinton McWhorter of Petrolia, California, who scored 80 points to win second place in the round. He was fourth overall after the first two rounds but moved to second place with a total of 238 points on three broncs.

McWhorter, who enters professional rodeos using just his first initial and last name, is an agricultural education graduate student at California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo.

At least one athlete in each event made the Saturday night field due to their efforts in round three on Friday night. One of the closest battles was in goat tying. Kristin Reaves of Bullard, Texas, a junior business major at Sam Houston State University, had a lead of just three-tenths of a second after two rounds. A 6.2-second run gave her a three-round total of 18.1. Two other women got close to Reaves’ total Friday night – seniors Paige Rasmussen of Montana State University with 18.2 and Kaytlyn Miller of Texas Tech University with 18.5. The 2023 championship will come down to the final run as just six-tenths of a second separates the top 8 qualifiers.

In team roping Quade Hiatt of Canyon, Texas, and Jace Helton of Tolar, Texas, caught their steer in 6.1 seconds to put them fourth overall and seventh in the round. Helton, a junior business major at Weatherford College, would love to win his second consecutive collegiate champion heeler title Saturday night. Hiatt, a junior business marketing major at West Texas A & M University, has a great chance to win as many as three individual championships. He comes into Saturday ranked second in tie-down roping, fourth in team roping and with a good shot at the men’s all-around title.

The final round of the CNFR begins at 7 p.m. Saturday in the Ford Wyoming Center.

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The following are results after the fourth performance at the College National Finals Rodeo, Friday, June 16, 2023 courtesy of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. Complete results are available at www.collegerodeo.com.

Bareback riding: (third round winners) 1, Ty Pope, Missouri Valley College, 84 points. 2, Colton Eck, Missouri Valley College, 83. 3, Donny Proffit, University of Wyoming, 79. 4, (tie) Isaac Ingram, Panola College, and Nick Pelke, Missouri Valley College, 78.5 each. 6, (tie) Weston Timberman, Clarendon College, and Connor Griffith, McNeese State University, 78. 8, Quintonn Lunsford, Fort Scott Community College, 77.5. (total on three) 1, Weston Timberman, Clarendon College, 240.5. 2, Kooper Heimburg, Missouri Valley College, 236.5. 3, Pope 234. 4, Sage Allen, College of Southern Idaho, 233. 5, (tie) Sam Peterson, Clarendon College, and Bradlee Miller, Sam Houston State University, 232.5. 7, Donny Proffit, University of Wyoming, 230.5. 8, Kade Sonnier, McNeese State University, 229.5. 9, Colton Eck, 227.5. 10, Bryce Eck, Fort Scott Community College, 227.5. 11, Wyatt Wood, Cal Poly State University, 226.5. 12, Nick Pelke, Missouri Valley College, 226.

Tie-Down Roping: (third round winners) 1, Quade Hiatt, West Texas A&M University, 8.2 seconds. 2, Cole Eiguren, Treasure Valley Community College, 8.3. 3, Denton Oestmann, Northwestern Oklahoma State University, 8.4. 4, Cael Stratton, Central Arizona College, 8.7. 5, (tie) Kincade Henry, Texas A&M Commerce, and Marley Berger, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, 9.0. 7, (tie) Cutter Carpenter, Texas A&M University – Commerce, and Chance Derner, Laramie County Community College, 9.1. (total on three) 1, Henry, 25.4. 2, Hiatt, 28.1. 3, Bodie Mattson, University of Wyoming, 28.4. 4, Connor Atkinson, Texas A&M University, 28.5. 5, Cutter Carpenter, Texas A&M University – Commerce, 29.2. 6, Eiguren, 29.3. 7, Bode Spring, Montana State University, 29.7. 8, Cole Walker, University of Tennessee – Martin, 30.1. 9, Daniel Miranda, Cal Poly State University, 30.9. 10, Logan Smith, Northwest College, 33.5. 11, Berger, 35.1. 12, Cottar Deveraux, Utah Valley University, 36.3.

Breakaway Roping (third round winners) 1, (tie) Kenli Raby, Missouri Valley College, and Emma Eiguren, Treasure Valley Community College, 2.0 seconds each. 3, Taylor Felton, Tarleton State University, 2.1. 4, Molly Salmond, Montana State University, 2.3. 5, (tie) Bailey Stuva, Northeast Oklahoma A&M University, and Addie Weil, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, 2.4 each. 7, Baylee Johnston, New Mexico State University, 2.5. 8, Madison Bean, South Plains College, and Mikenna Schauer, Montana State University Northern, 2.6. (total on three) 1, Tyree Cochrane, Cal Poly State University, 7.8. 2, Haiden Thompson, Gillette College, 8.0. 3, (tie) Makayla Farkas, West Hills College, and Kennedy Buckner, Blue Mountain Community College, 8.2. 5, Samantha Kerns, Treasure Valley Community College, 8.4. 6, Sutton Mang, Allan Hancock College, 9.3. 7, Morgan Foss, Dickinson State University, 9.6. 8, Raegan Steed, College of Southern Idaho, 10.7. 9, Cate Hepper, Montana State University, 17.4. 10, Mikenna Schauer, Montana State University Northern, 17.5. 11, Kyleigh Winn, Kansas State University, 18.6. (on two) 12, Baylee Johnston, Tarleton State University, 4.7.

Saddle Bronc Riding: (third round winners) 1, Damian Brennan, Western Texas College, 81. 2, Quinton McWhorter, Cal Poly State University, 80.5. 3, Zachary Dallas, New Mexico State University, 78.5. 4, Dylan Hancock, Clarenddon College, 78. 5, Slade Keith, Clarendon College, 77.5. 6, (tie) Isaac Richard, McNeese State University, and Bailey Small, Panhandle State University, 77.0. 8, Cauy Masters, Clarendon College, 76.5. (total on three) 1, Brennan, 239.5. 2, McWhorter, 238.5. 3, Richard, 237. 4, Hancock, 235. 5, Tucker Bourdet, Cuesta College, 233. 6, Keith, 231.5.7, (tie) Parker Fleet, Hill College, and Will Pollock, Clarendon College, 230.5. 9, (tie) Lance Gaillard, Tarleton State University and John Allen, Fort Scott Community College, 227.5. 11, Brody McAbee, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, 221. 12, Zachary Dallas, New Mexico State University, 220.5.

Steer Wrestling: (third round winners) 1, Trace Harris, Texas A&M University, 3.6 seconds. 2, Kason Davis, Pearl River College, 4.3. 3, Mason Couch, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, and Tyler Bauerle, Cisco College, 4.8 each. 5, Mike Nannini, Montana State University, 4.8. 6, Jaden Whitman, Montana State University, 4.9. 7, Colt Honey, Texas Tech University, 5.0. 6, (tie) Logan Atkinson, Walla Walla Community College, and Jacob Wang, University of Wyoming, 5.3 each. (total on three) 1, Joshua Ellison, University of West Alabama, 19.3. 2, Bradley Hesnor, McNeese State University, 22.3. 3, Jaden Whitman, Montana State University, 22.9. 4, Austin Madison, Black Hills State University, 23.2. 5, Traver Johnson, Montana State University, 23.9. 6, Bauerle, 24.4. 7, Honey, 25.4. 8, Nannini, 26.0. 9, Bode Spring, Montana State University, 27.3. 10, Davis, 27.8. 11, Jesse Keysaer, University of Tennessee – Martin, 28.3. 12, Couch, 31.5.

Goat Tying: (third round winners) 1, Kenna McNeill, University of Wyoming, 5.8 seconds. 2, Aimee Davis, Cal Poly State University, 5.9. 3, Madalyn Richards, Texas A&M University; Kamryn Duncan, McNeese State University, and Karissa Rayhill, Eastern Wyoming College; 6.0 seconds each. 6, (tie) Avery Ledesma, New Mexico State University; Cheyenne Vande Stouwe, Southwestern Oklahoma State University; Kaylee Cormier, McNeese State University; and Paige Rasmussen, Montana State University; 6.1. (total on three) 1, Kristin Reaves, Sam Houston State University, 18.1 seconds. 2, Rayhill, 18.2. 3, Rasmussen, 18.3. 4, Richards, 18.4. 5, Kaytlyn Miller, Texas Tech University, 18.4. 6, McNeill, 18.6. 7, (tie) Kaylee Cormier, McNeese State University, and Haiden Thompson, Gillette College, 18.7. 9, Mikenna Schauer, Montana State University – Northern, 19.3. 11, Cheyenne Vande Stouwe, Southwestern Oklahoma State University,19.4. 12, Maggie Usher, Cal Poly State University, 19.7.

Team Roping: (third round winners) 1, Cam Jensen, University of Wyoming and Tanner McInerney, Gillette College, 4.2 seconds. 2, Jayse Tettenhorst and Kaden Profili, Trinity Valley Community College, 5.3. 3, (tie) Zane and Ty Taylor, Treasure Valley Community College: Clay Cherry and Logan Cullen, Central Arizona College; 5.5. 5, Wyatt Bray, Tarleton State University and Cutter Pake Thomison, Western Texas College, 5.6. 6, Cobie and Cole Dodds, Feather River College, 5.8. (total on three) 1, Slade Wood, Southwest Texas Junior College and Logan moore, Wharton County Community College, 16.3. 2, Dodds and Dodds, 18.2. 3, Bray and Thomison, 18.4. 4, Quade Hiatt, West Texas A&M University, and Jace Helton, Weatherford College, 18.6. 5, Chilly Hernandez and Juanito Montoya, New Mexico State University, 21.0. 6, Cherry and Cullen, 22.5. 7, Bret Olsen, Utah Valley University and Hayden Roundy, Southern Utah University, 25.3. 8, Appleton and Lovins, 26.9. 9, Jace Hanks, and Wyatt Ahlstrom, Utah Valley University, 29.5. 10, Ty Johnson, Texas A&M – Commerce and Cooper Parsley, Panola College, 33.6. (on two) 11, Tettenhorse and Profili, 11.3. 12, Jensen and McInerney, 13.7.

Barrel racing: (third round winners) 1, Tayla Moeykens, Montana State University, 13.91 seconds. 2, Taycie Matthews, University of West Alabama, 14.08. 3, Sage Kohr, University of Wyoming, 14.09. 4, Abby Hepper, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, 14.13. 5, Jaylie Matthews, University of West Alabama, 14.14. 6, (tie) Brooke Krolczyk, Texas A&M University, and Victoria Proctor, Texas A&M University, 14.17. 8, Bailey Stuva, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, 14.18. (total on three) 1, Taycie Matthews, 41.59. 2, Moeykens, 42.01. 3, Jaylie Matthews, 42.22. 4, Hepper, 42.35. 5, Emme Norsworthy, University of Wyoming, 42.59. 6, Raven Clegg, University of West Alabarm, 42.63. 7, Jordan Driver, Tarleton State University, 43.18. 8, Annie Alexander, New Mexico State University, 43.20. 9, (tie) Kiersten Pettus, Central Arizona College and Gwyneth Cheyne, Blue Mountain Community College, 43.34. 11, Jayci Byler, Sam Houston State University, 43.35. 12, Ellie Bard, Gillette College, 43.42.

Bull Riding: (third round winners) 1, Tristen Hutchings, Sul Ross State University, 84. 2, Dawson Gleaves, Weatherford College, 74. 3, Brad Moreno, Central Arizona College, 71. (total on three) 1, Hutchings, 236. (on two) Gleaves, 153. (on one) 3, Wyatt Phelps, Sheridan College, 85.5. 4, Cole Skender, University of Alabama – Monticello, 82.5. 5, Caden Bunch, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, 81.5. 6, Moreno, 71.

Men’s All-Around leader: 1, Quade Hiatt, West Texas A&M University, 200 points

Women’s All-Around leader: 1, Haiden Thompson, Gillette College, 135 points

Men’s Team leaders: 1, Clarendon College, 495 points. 2, McNeese State University, 425. 3, (tie) Missouri Valley College, 335.

Women’s Team leaders: 1, University of West Alabama, 473.33 points. 2, Montana State University, 288.33. 3, Cal Poly State University, 245. 4, University of Wyoming, 220.