On to Nationals: Wyoming High School rodeo athletes wrap up state finals, head to nationals
During the first week of June, Wyoming high school rodeo athletes gathered at the Johnson County Fairgrounds in Buffalo to compete in the highly competitive Wyoming High School State Finals.
Additionally, the top four in each event punched their ticket to the National High School Finals Rodeo (NHSFR) in Rock Springs July 13-19.
Rough stock, roping and steer wrestling
With 166 points, Cheyenne’s Brenson Bartlett led the bull riding and will make the trip to nationals, followed by Stetson St. Clair of Crowheart with 114 points, Owen Monfeldt of Cody with 90.5 points and Kolby Smith of Sheridan with 36.5 points.
Kutter Acord of Bingham, Utah claimed the first-place position in the saddle bronc riding with 169.5 points, followed by Owen Thomson of Gillette in second with 145 points and Kyle Fox of Kemmerer in third with 122.5 points.
A two-way tie for fourth took place between Lovell’s Jasper Hatch and Ty Scarborough of Pine Bluffs, both of whom scored 85 points.
In the bareback riding, Keon Norris of Gillette swept the competition, earning 241 points for first place, followed in second by Diamondville’s Roany Proffit with 195 points.
A total of 163.5 points landed Gillette’s Tyson Schmelzle third in the event, and Trenton Rogers of Laramie rounded out the top four qualifiers with 138 points.
Steer Wrestler Landon Gold of Riverton earned 219 points to win the state finals and a spot at nationals.
Second place in the competition was Gillette’s Baylon Sneathen with 196.5 points, followed by Carter Hutchison of Rozet with 187 points and Teague Goodman of Green River with 172.5 points.
On the roping front, partners Cael and Hays Espenscheid, both of Big Piney, finished first in the team roping with 219 points. They were followed in second by Turek Thompson of Yoder and Trigg Thompson of Cheyenne, who scored 148 points.
Partners Hadley Thompson of Yoder and Asa Pixley of Sundance were third with 140 points, followed by Jace Bowles of Big Piney and Glade Parker of Laramie with a total 124 points for fourth.
A total 185 points landed Baggs Cowboy Kolbe Chant first in the tie-down roping, followed by Bridger Peil of Thermopolis with 174 points, Cael Espensheid with 164 points and Carter Hutchison with 152 points.
In the breakaway, Hadley Thompson punched another ticket to nationals, earning 177 points, followed by Jami Garson of Torrington with 169.5 points. Gillette’s Rhame Hicks finished the event in third place with a total 149.5 points, while Gabriella Longwell of Evansville finished fourth with 139 points.
Cow horse and cutting
In the reined cow horse event, Big Piney’s Kaleb Miller finished first in the average, scoring 236.3 points, in front of second-place Josie Waite of Morrill, Neb. who scored 224.8 points. James Foss of Buffalo was third in the event with 209 points, and Cooper Justus of Parkman rounded out the top four with 169.75 points.
With 239 points, Karly Peterson of Buffalo topped the leaderboard in girls cutting, with three Gillette cowgirls rounding out the top-four rankings.
TeAnna Jolovich earned 225 points to secure second place, followed by Kaitlyn Snyder in third with 204.5 points and Abby Millburg-Holcomb in fourth with 168.5 points.
Leading the pack in the boy’s cutting event was Cody Hyaden of Gillette with 240.5 points, followed by Clancey Adamson of Cheyenne with 230 points, Kaleb Miller with 208 points and Carter Hutchison with 147.5 points.
Barrels, goats and poles
Boulder’s Kloe Nichols swept the barrel racing with an impressive 241.5 points. Hadley Thompson followed in the second-place slot, punching her ticket to nationals in a third event, with 197.5 points.
Third in the event was Kendrie Ewing of Douglas with 176.5 points, followed by Shayda Lesmeister of Rozet in fourth with 153 points.
Hadley Thompson will compete in a fourth event at nationals after sweeping the competition in the goat tying, where she scored a total 234.5 points. The second-place cowgirl was Caitlin Moore of Wright with 205 points. Bleu Butler of Big Horn claimed the third-place position with 184 points, and Rhame Hicks rounded out the top four with 174 points.
A total of 202 points landed Emma Martin of Lander on top in the pole bending, followed by Emeree Tavegie of Newcastle in second with 187 points, Abby Millburg-Holcomb in third with 176 points and Caitlin Moore in fourth with 160 points.
Hannah Bugas is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
