Cowgirls dominate first fall rodeo

by Milton Ontiveroz
UW Media Relations

It's only the first weekend of the 2008 season, but the University of Wyoming women's rodeo team already looks unbeatable.

Rodeo fans nationwide know about the Cowgirls' talented trio -- Nikki Steffes, TaNaye Carroll and Sarah Mulholland. UW Coach George Howard has added a fourth person to the mix who very well could be a rising point producer, making for a potent starting four: Freshman Heather Bregar.

The four UW women set the early tone in the Central Rocky Mountain Region (CRMR) when the Cowgirls easily won the opening fall rodeo of the season Sunday by a wide 330-point margin at the Central Wyoming College (CWC) event in Riverton.

Led by the program's all-time leading scorer, Steffes, a molecular biology senior from Vale, S.D., who won the CWC all-around title, the UW women piled up 595 points to outdistance runner-up Chadron State College. Northeastern Junior College placed third with 160 points.

Steffes, who won nine individual all-around titles in 10 separate rodeos in the region last year, is off to another fast start. Even though she didn't win an individual event in Riverton, she did score points in all three women's events -- the only woman competitor to pull it off.

After taking part of the summer off from competition after last June's College National Finals Rodeo, Steffes appears ready for another strong season after placing second in both goat tying and barrel racing and fourth in breakaway roping.

But the Cowgirls' overall depth clearly is what will define the team once again as the UW women seek their fourth consecutive CRMR championship.

Carroll, a kinesiology senior from La Junta, Colo., placed third in the goat tying average. Teammates Mulholland, a nursing senior from Richland Center, Wis., and Bregar, a kinesiology freshman from Lander, didn't make the average in their respective events, but they did score points in breakaway roping and goat tying events, respectively.

The UW men got off to a slow start to begin the season by placing fifth.

The host Rustlers of CWC, who have dominated the region the last four years, won their own rodeo with 475 points, topping second-year program Gillette College by just 65 points. Casper College was third with 370, Lamar Community College had 330 and the UW Cowboys scored 265.

Merritt Smith, a Gillette sophomore in animal science, won the saddle bronc competition, by placing second in the first round and then winning the short go. Only two other UW Cowboys managed to score points in an individual event.

John Franzen, a communications senior from Riverton, took sixth in steer wrestling, while teammate Will Smith, a rangeland ecology freshman from Del Norte, Colo., added team roping points.

The Cowgirls and Cowboys will be at the Sheridan College rodeo Friday through Sunday.
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Women's team points -- University of Wyoming (UW) 595; Chadron State College (CSC) 265; Northeastern Junior College (NJC) 160; Sheridan College (SC) 150; Central Wyoming College (CWC) 130; Lamar Community College (LCC) 120; Gillette College 110; Eastern Wyoming College (EWC) 95; Colorado State University (CSU) 60.
Men's team points -- CWC, 475; GC, 410; CC, 370; LCC, 330; UW, 265; Otero Community College, 240; LCCC, 225; SC, 210; CSU, 140; EWC, 125; NJC, 70.Barrel racing -- Hannah Mills, NJC, 35.74; Nikki Steffes, UW, 35.85; Amanda Welch, GC, 36.01; Lizzi Snyder, UW, 36.28; Britta O'Keefe, UW, 36.34; Sydney Hettinger, UW, 36.56.
Breakaway roping -- Lisa Vroman, CSC, 6; Andie Scott, EWC, 6.5; Kelsey Scott, CSC, 6.6; Nikki Steffes, UW, 7.3; Jessie Smith, CSU, 16.4; Sarah Mulholland, UW, 2.8 (on one).
Goat tying -- Lacey Schuelke, SC, 18.2; Nikki Steffes, UW, 18.4; TaNaye Carroll, UW, 18.6; Lacey Harper, Front Range Community College, 18.8; Laura Waldo, CWC, 18.9; Heather Bregar, UW, 19.
Saddle bronc riding -- Merritt Smith, UW, 147; Riley Knoll, CWC, 126. Only two on two successful rides.Bareback riding -- Bryan Jones, CWC, 151; Paul Palczewski GC, 139; Warren Stairs, LCCC, 137; Ty Breuer, CWC, 136. Only four on two successful rides.
Bull riding -- Clay Culbreath, CSU, 78; Miles Spickelmier, LCCC, 75; Brandon Abel, LCCC, 72; Cameron Weddle NJC and Lane Sterling, GC, both 70; Kris Newman, CC, 65. All one ride.
Tie down roping -- Nathan Ramsey, Otero Community College, 19.8; Cole Dorenkamp, LCC, 21.7; Tyler Viles, UW, 22.1; Caleb Adle, NJC, 22.3; Cody McCluskey, NJC, 22.6; Brice Ingo, LCC, 22.4.
Steer wrestling -- Vance Steedley, SC, 10.4; Seth Bolerjack, UW, 10.9; Logan McDonald, EWC, 11.1; Cole Dorenkamp, LCC, 12.8; Tyrel Larsen, CC, 12.9; John Franzen, UW, 13.6.
Team roping -- Chad Nelson, UW/Beau Miller, GC, 14.1; O.J. Huxtable/Dustin Smith, CC, 15.7; Chelsen Willhoite, LCC/Nathan Ramsey, Otero Community College, 18.3; Tyrel Schroth/Tyrel Bonnet, SC, 20.7; Tyler Viles, UW/Jared Bilby, EWC, 31.6; Taylor Miniat/Clay Hill, CSU, 45.7.