Wyoming junior Nikki Steffes looks to defend her CNFR all-around title in Casper.
UW's Steffes shoots for second straight all-around championship
By UW News Service
Wherever the University of Wyoming women's rodeo team went the past year, they were greeted with plenty of congratulations -- just like their Cowgirl basketball counterparts: Both were coming off championship seasons.
Not to take away from what the UW women did on the basketball court, but the big difference was that this particular Cowgirl team won a national championship.
This season, the UW women's rodeo team was more dominant than the club that won its first College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) championship in more than 15 years. And like those early 1990s team that dominated women's rodeo with three national titles, this year's Cowgirls are looking to repeat.
Nearly 400 of the best cowboys and cowgirls representing colleges and universities in 11 regions across the United States start competition this weekend at the CNFR at the Casper Events Center.
The 60th CNFR begins Sunday with afternoon performances at 1 and 4 p.m. Slack is scheduled from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday and Tuesday. Public performances start at 7 p.m. On Wednesday and the rodeo culminates with the championship round at 7 p.m. on Saturday. Student athletes will compete for more than $200,000 in scholarships.
Veteran UW Coach George Howard says last year's women's team championship wasn't totally unexpected because the previous couple of seasons built up to the title run.
"Last year's team was so focused and determined because they got a taste of it the last couple of years," Howard said. "Going in this weekend we still have to be considered one of the top teams. Balance-wise, I think we are a tougher team than a year ago."
Only one member from the 2007 CNFR championship club is back -- the defending all-around title holder, junior Nikki Steffes. And she's coming off a dominating regional run that earned the Vale, S.D., junior her third consecutive all-around championship.
She and bareback rider Tilden Hooper of Panola (Texas) College are the only returning individual champions from last season.
Steffes is the national goat tying runner-up after being surpassed in the championship round last season by two-time CNFR champion and UW teammate Kayla Nelson. This season Steffes, who won both the regional goat tying and barrel racing titles, led the Cowgirls to a school-record 5,735 points -- second most in the nation behind New Mexico State University. The UW women won nine of the region's 10 rodeos during the fall and spring schedules.
She will be joined on the three-member UW team by community college transfers TaNaye Carroll and Sarah Mulholland, both CNFR veterans. The two juniors finished behind Steffes in the final regional all-around competition.
Carroll, from La Junta, Colo., won the regional breakaway roping title, while Mulholland, from Richland Center, Wis., was fourth. Steffes, Carroll and Mulholland went 1-2-3 in the goat tying competition.
Those three goat tyers will help offset New Mexico State's power in barrel racing where three competitors have qualified.
"I rate our chances of repeating very strong," Howard said. "We have to place high in each round in all three women's events and get to the short round. The women have been consistent all year long and that is what makes this team so tough."
While the Cowgirls cruised to their third consecutive regional title this past spring, the UW Cowboys struggled and didn't even qualify for the CNFR until the final weekend of the regular season. Only the top two teams from the region qualify for college's biggest rodeo and the UW men barely made it, ending a one-year hiatus from the CNFR.
"We weren't healthy most of the year," Howard said. "But now everyone starts back at zero."
If the makeup of the UW women's team is balanced with the three women competing in all three events, the Cowboys are an unbalanced bunch dominated by ropers.
Sophomore Neil DeZort, in saddle bronc riding, is the only UW roughstock rider competing. Points will have to come from the rest of his teammates who will compete in either tie down or team roping. And this is a fairly inexperienced group coming into the finals.
DeZort barely missed qualifying for last season's short go when he was tossed in his final ride, but he suffered the entire week with a dislocated shoulder. That same shoulder, which doesn't effect his free arm, popped out again throughout the season. The Kalispell, Mont., native had a consistent year, however, finishing third in the event.
UW had the top two tie down regional ropers in Jake Pratt, a sophomore from Ellensburg, Wash., and junior Jason Hubbard from Wheatland. But the pair is making its first CNFR appearance.
The Cowboys are entering three pairs of team ropers: first-time CNFR qualifiers juniors T.J. Teague, of Loveland, Colo., and Tyler Viles from Cody.
The other team roper is Mark Morrison, a Killdeer, N.D., senior, who qualified for the CNFR two years ago in the same event.
Viles teamed up with older brother, Justin, to place second in the final regional standings. Justin's points will not count in the team standings because his eligibility ended in 2007, but as the student regional director, he received an invitation to the CNFR competition.
"The philosophy has been to stop the clock," Howard said of his stable of ropers. "Each one has won at least one regional roping event during the year."
The Cowboys are seeking their first team title since 1961.
By UW News Service
Wherever the University of Wyoming women's rodeo team went the past year, they were greeted with plenty of congratulations -- just like their Cowgirl basketball counterparts: Both were coming off championship seasons.
Not to take away from what the UW women did on the basketball court, but the big difference was that this particular Cowgirl team won a national championship.
This season, the UW women's rodeo team was more dominant than the club that won its first College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) championship in more than 15 years. And like those early 1990s team that dominated women's rodeo with three national titles, this year's Cowgirls are looking to repeat.
Nearly 400 of the best cowboys and cowgirls representing colleges and universities in 11 regions across the United States start competition this weekend at the CNFR at the Casper Events Center.
The 60th CNFR begins Sunday with afternoon performances at 1 and 4 p.m. Slack is scheduled from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday and Tuesday. Public performances start at 7 p.m. On Wednesday and the rodeo culminates with the championship round at 7 p.m. on Saturday. Student athletes will compete for more than $200,000 in scholarships.
Veteran UW Coach George Howard says last year's women's team championship wasn't totally unexpected because the previous couple of seasons built up to the title run.
"Last year's team was so focused and determined because they got a taste of it the last couple of years," Howard said. "Going in this weekend we still have to be considered one of the top teams. Balance-wise, I think we are a tougher team than a year ago."
Only one member from the 2007 CNFR championship club is back -- the defending all-around title holder, junior Nikki Steffes. And she's coming off a dominating regional run that earned the Vale, S.D., junior her third consecutive all-around championship.
She and bareback rider Tilden Hooper of Panola (Texas) College are the only returning individual champions from last season.
Steffes is the national goat tying runner-up after being surpassed in the championship round last season by two-time CNFR champion and UW teammate Kayla Nelson. This season Steffes, who won both the regional goat tying and barrel racing titles, led the Cowgirls to a school-record 5,735 points -- second most in the nation behind New Mexico State University. The UW women won nine of the region's 10 rodeos during the fall and spring schedules.
She will be joined on the three-member UW team by community college transfers TaNaye Carroll and Sarah Mulholland, both CNFR veterans. The two juniors finished behind Steffes in the final regional all-around competition.
Carroll, from La Junta, Colo., won the regional breakaway roping title, while Mulholland, from Richland Center, Wis., was fourth. Steffes, Carroll and Mulholland went 1-2-3 in the goat tying competition.
Those three goat tyers will help offset New Mexico State's power in barrel racing where three competitors have qualified.
"I rate our chances of repeating very strong," Howard said. "We have to place high in each round in all three women's events and get to the short round. The women have been consistent all year long and that is what makes this team so tough."
While the Cowgirls cruised to their third consecutive regional title this past spring, the UW Cowboys struggled and didn't even qualify for the CNFR until the final weekend of the regular season. Only the top two teams from the region qualify for college's biggest rodeo and the UW men barely made it, ending a one-year hiatus from the CNFR.
"We weren't healthy most of the year," Howard said. "But now everyone starts back at zero."
If the makeup of the UW women's team is balanced with the three women competing in all three events, the Cowboys are an unbalanced bunch dominated by ropers.
Sophomore Neil DeZort, in saddle bronc riding, is the only UW roughstock rider competing. Points will have to come from the rest of his teammates who will compete in either tie down or team roping. And this is a fairly inexperienced group coming into the finals.
DeZort barely missed qualifying for last season's short go when he was tossed in his final ride, but he suffered the entire week with a dislocated shoulder. That same shoulder, which doesn't effect his free arm, popped out again throughout the season. The Kalispell, Mont., native had a consistent year, however, finishing third in the event.
UW had the top two tie down regional ropers in Jake Pratt, a sophomore from Ellensburg, Wash., and junior Jason Hubbard from Wheatland. But the pair is making its first CNFR appearance.
The Cowboys are entering three pairs of team ropers: first-time CNFR qualifiers juniors T.J. Teague, of Loveland, Colo., and Tyler Viles from Cody.
The other team roper is Mark Morrison, a Killdeer, N.D., senior, who qualified for the CNFR two years ago in the same event.
Viles teamed up with older brother, Justin, to place second in the final regional standings. Justin's points will not count in the team standings because his eligibility ended in 2007, but as the student regional director, he received an invitation to the CNFR competition.
"The philosophy has been to stop the clock," Howard said of his stable of ropers. "Each one has won at least one regional roping event during the year."
The Cowboys are seeking their first team title since 1961.
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