CNFR results: College athletes make impressive showing at national finals
The National Iintercollegiate Rodeo Association hosted the 2021 College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) in Casper June 13-19. Throughout the six days of performances at the Ford Wyoming Center, collegiate cowboys and cowgirls from across the nation traveled to Wyoming to compete for championship titles.
Saddle bronc riding
Coming into the short go following the third performance on June 18, University of Wyoming (UW) Athlete Garrett Uptain was tied for 10th place. Upon receiving a no-score in the short go June 19, Uptain finished the season ninth in the average with 220 points on three headrides.
In the championship round, Dylan Schofield of West Texas College took home the national title with an 84.5 point ride to win the round and the average with a total of 310 points. Weston Patterson of Clarendon College rode for 80 points in the short go and finished second in the average with 301.5 points, followed by Clayson Hutchings of Utah State Eastern with a 79.5 point ride to earn a total of 296.5 points in the average.
Bareback riding
UW’s Donny Proffit, a Kemmerer cowboy who entered the CNFR in the number one spot, came into the short go in 12th place with a total of 216 points on three headrides. An 80 point ride in the championship round earned Proffit eighth place in the round and bumped him into the 11th spot in the event average.
Cole Franks from Clarendon College scored 85 points in the final round for an average of 330.5 points in first place. Gauge McBride of Panola College and Nick Pelke of Missouri Valley College tied for second in the round with 83- point rides, closely followed by Waylon Boureois of McNeese State University and Kolt Dement of Panola College in third with 83.5 point rides.
In the average, Franks took the lead with 330.5 points, followed by Dement at 322 points and Pelke with 321.5 points.
Bull riding
Casper College’s Quinten Taylor came into the short go with a 79.5 point ride in the first go. With only one qualified ride at the CNFR, Taylor finished the season sixth in the average with a total of 79.5 points.
In the championship round, only two bull riders made the eight-second mark. Tristen Hutchings of Sul Ross State University scored a 90 in the short go for a total of 241.5 points on three head rides to win the average. Cole Skender of Three Rivers College put down an 83point ride in the short go and placeds second in the average with a total of 167.5 on two head, followed by Austin Allred of Utah State University Eastern.
Tie– down roping
Connor Atkinson of Wharton County Junior College won the short go in the tie- down roping with a 9.4 second run, followed by Macon Murphy of Panola College with a 9.8 second run and Kincade Henry of Panola College with an 11.5 second run.
In the average, Murphy led the pack with a total of 39.1 seconds, followed by Caleb Berquist of Montana State University with 44.3 seconds and Atkinson with a total of 47.6 points.
Steer wrestling
Chadron Coffield, a UW cowboy, entered the final round of the CNFR with a total of 23.7 secon ds on three head, placing him fourth before the short go. Seth Peterson, also a UW cowboy, entered the championship round in sixth with a total of 24 seconds on three head.
Coffield made a 6.1 second run in the short go to place fifth, earning fourth in the average. Peterson made an 8.1 second run to place seventh and earned fifth in the average.
Grant Peterson of California Polytechnic University won the championship round with a four second run, followed by Gavin Soileau of McNeese State University with a 4.2 second run and Ttrisyn Kalawai’a of Central Arizona College with a 4.4 second run. Soileau wins the average with a total of 19.2 seconds, Grant Peterson places second with 27.8 seconds and Bryce Harrison of University of Montana Western placed third in the average with a total score of 29.2 seconds.
Team roping
In the first round, Casper College’s Kellan and Carson Johnson placed second with a 6.1 second run, while Bodie Mattson of Gillette College and Cody Lansing of Casper College placed fourth with a 6.4 point run. The team from Gillette College comprised of Jon Peterson and Trae Smith placed 9th on 11.8 seconds.
Mattson and Lansing placed second in the second go with a 5.6 second run, while Peterson and Smith tied for fourth on 6.4 seconds. The Johnson brothers placed eighth in the go with a run of seven seconds.
In the third round, UW Cowboy Jase Staudt and teammate J.C. Flake from Gillette College took second with 5.4 seconds, while the Johnsons scored a 7.6 second run for seventh.
In the short go, Casper-raised Kellan and Carson Johnson roped their steer in six seconds to win the round, also winning the average with a total of 26.7 seconds.
Staudt and Flake placed third in the championship round with a time of 11.5 seconds, following J.C. Yeahquo and L.J. Yeahquo from Western Oklahoma State College. J.C. and L.J. placed second in the average with a total of 27.7 seconds, followed by the team of Wyatt Murray and Whitt Crozier from Panhandle State.
Barrel racing
UW’s Karson Bradley, a Big Piney cowgirl who began the CNFR in the number one spot, entered the championship round in the seventh hole. With a 14.43 second run in the final round, Bradley tied for sixth. In the average, Bradley placed sixth with a total of 57.71 seconds.
Taylor Moeykens from Montana State University won the final round with a final time of 13.99 seconds, followed by Bradi Good from Weatherford College with a 14.03 second run. Shai McDonald, also of Montana State University, placed third with a time of 14.21 seconds.
Moeykens wins the average with a total of 56.84 seconds. Jaylie Matthews of East Mississippi Community College earned third with a total time of 57.13 seconds followed by Abby Hepper of Southwest Oklahoma State who earned a total of 57.16 seconds.
Breakaway roping
In the breakaway roping event, Zoie Bedke of Idaho State won the final round roping her calf in 2.4 seconds. Hannah Phillips of Sam Houston State closely followed for second with a 2.7 second run, and Catherine Clayton of Cochise College placed third with a 2.8 second run in the short go.
Bedke won the average with a total of 10.3 seconds. Courtney Peters of Black Hills State was second in the average with a total time of 11.3 seconds, followed by Clayton with a total of 13.7 seconds.
Goat tying
UW’s Taylour Latham came into the short go with a total of 20.8 seconds on three head, placed 10th in the event. In the final go, Latham made an 8.6 second run to place eighth. In the average, Latham placed eighth as well.
Sheyenne Anderson of Missouri Valley College won the championship round with a 6.2 second run, followed by Jill Donnely of Cochise College with a 6.5. Heather McLaughlin from the University of West Alabama earned third with 6.8 seconds.
In the average, Donnely wins with a total of 26.4 seconds, followed by Anderson with 26.6 seconds and Maddee Doerr of Cochise College with a total of 27.5 seconds.
All-around titles
Winning the men’s all-around title, Cole Franks of Clarendon College earned a total of 395 points. UW’s Seth Peterson placed second with 185 points, followed by Garrett Jacobs of Sul Ross State University, UW’s Jase Staudt, Missouri Valley College’s Ty Pope, Casper College’s Quinten Taylor and Missouri Valley College’s Roy Lee.
Averi Hales is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
