Rodeo athletes back in action, with sights set on the 2025 CNFR
With a busy spring schedule ahead, 11 regions of collegiate athletes are focused on balancing rodeo season and their academic commitments, as the 2025 College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) is fast approaching.
This year, the CNFR will take place in Casper on June 15-21. With half of the season still to go, teams are preparing for their best performances after spending the winter finetuning their skills.
As some regions have already begun their seasons, others will wait until later in the year, but at the end of the spring season, the top three contestants in the standings for each event in each region will secure their spots at the CNFR, competing for a national title.
Men’s team standings
As of March 17, the men’s team of Mid-Plains Community College of North Platte, Neb., the largest region covering five states, sits in the number one spot with 4,857 points, followed by the men’s team of New Mexico State University of Las Cruces, N.M. in second place with 4,742 points.
The Missouri Valley College men’s team of Marshall, Mo., with 4,265.5 points, is currently in third, while the men’s team of Idaho State University of Pocatello, Idaho is in fourth place with 4,040 points.
Rounding out the top five men’s teams with 3,995 points is Bismarck State College of Bismarck, N.D.
Currently, the University of Wyoming (UW) men’s team is in 10th place, while the men’s team of Casper College (CC) sits in the 18th position.
UW’s rodeo teams opened the spring season on March 14-16 at Gillette College in Gillette.
UW stretched their overall Central Rocky Mountain Region (CRMR) lead over CC by accumulating 640 points.
Central Wyoming College of Riverton took second to the UW team with 395 points, while the CC Thunderbirds placed third with 365 points.
According to a March 17, UW News article, UW Head Coach Seth Glause states, “I’m very proud of the way our teams showed up to compete. They showed they were prepared and ready to have a strong spring season.”
Women’s team standings
In the women’s team division, as of March 17, Lassen College of Susanville, Calif. holds on to first place with 2,658.5 points, while Gillette College follows with 2,598.33 points.
The women’s team from Blue Mountain Community College of Pendleton, Ore. holds on to third place with 2,450.5 points.
Rounding out the women’s rodeo teams in fourth place is Cochise College of Sierra Vista, Ariz. with 2,194.33 points, and in fifth place is the women’s team from Treasure Valley Community College of Ontario, Ore.
During UW’s first rodeo event of the year, the Cowgirls were impressive by stopping season-long leader Gillette College’s momentum and scoring 520 points.
“It’s always great to get team wins,” Glause says. “We are going to enjoy this and come back in two weeks to do it again in Torrington for the next CRMR event.”
Cowboys to watch
UW’s Bodie Mattson from Sturgis, S.D. delivered an impressive all-around performance at the opening spring rodeo.
Alongside his teammate Troupe Coors from Loveland, Colo., Mattson won both the short go and the overall team roping average.
In tie-down roping, he finished third in both rounds, securing third place in the overall average as well.
Other team scores were contributed by a trio of steer wrestlers. Rhett Witt from Valentine, Neb. finished as the runner-up, while Rio Nutter from Rapid City, S.D. placed fourth. Jacob Wang from Baker, Mont. secured a sixth-place finish after winning the short go.
Nutter also earned team roping points alongside Heeler Coy Johnson from Gillette.
In the saddle bronc riding average, Dixon Tattrie from Youngstown, Alberta, Canada placed fourth, and Greybull’s Colton Farrow tied for sixth place in the bareback riding average.
Several individuals from UW who were not part of the six-man points team also achieved notable placements during the weekend competition.
Stefan Tonita from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada secured the runner-up position in bull riding, and David and Sam Gallagher from Brighton, Colo. finished third and fifth in steer wrestling.
Additionally, Sam teamed up with Heeler Trevor Sorge from Gillette College to place sixth in team roping.
Cowgirls to watch
The UW Cowgirls also had an outstanding performance at the first rodeo of the spring season, highlighted by Landry Haugen from Rapid City, S.D., who earned the title of all-around champion by placing in all three women’s events.
She won the breakaway roping, finished fourth in goat tying and took fifth in barrel racing.
Teammate Riata Day from Fleming, Colo. excelled in goat tying, sweeping both rounds of competition to secure the average title. Josie Mousel from Colman, S.D. finished sixth in the goat tying average, while Rayne Grant from Wheatland secured sixth place in the barrel racing average.
Several individuals from UW who were not part of the four-member women’s points team also made impressive placements during the weekend competition.
Makenzi Scott from Rock Springs was the runner-up in barrel racing, while Molly Rotenberger from Ludlow, S.D., the reserve all-around champion, placed fourth in barrel racing and was second in the goat tying average.
Teammate Emme Norsworthy from Thermopolis finished one place behind Rotenberger, and in breakaway roping, Jordyn McNamee from Buffalo placed fourth, while Hadley Furnival from Casper took sixth.
CRMR teams now turn their focus to the next college rodeo, scheduled for March 28-30 in Torrington at Eastern Wyoming College.
Keep an eye out for CNFR updates in the Wyoming Livestock Roundup as the season continues, leading up to the final go in Casper this June.
Melissa Anderson is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
