Men’s team back in the saddle after weekend
“The Cowboy State” is always windy, but last weekend the Chadron State College rodeo team gusted through the Eastern Wyoming College Rodeo in Torrington, Wyo., to sweep several men’s events.
The CSC men’s team finished fifth in the 11 team field, but sent four cowboys to the short-go earning 367.50 points
Collin Chytka, sophomore of Broken Bow, won the steer wrestling after posting a pair of 4.6 second times. Chytka was unmatched by any cowboy in the 10-man field.
“I was really impressed with how quick his times were,” CSC rodeo coach Dustin Luper said, “he performed really well.”
Mitch McAddow, senior of Littleton, Colo., captured the runner-up slot in the tie down roping. He entered finals in second place with 10.2 seconds, and finished with 11.4 seconds in the short go. He fell just short of winning the average by 0.3 seconds.
Two rough stock cowboys made good rides and earned much needed points at the EWC Rodeo.
CSC junior Colton Blanchard from Sulphur, La., finished third in bareback riding. He scored 70 points in the long go-round, and 74 points in the short go, earning 144 points in the average. Blanchard said it took him a while to get back into form after the winter break, but that bucking horses is all about muscle memory.
“You can’t think too much about what it is you are doing,” Blanchard said, “You just have to let your body take over.”
Jace Blackwell, junior of Rapid City, S.D., finished fourth in saddle bronc riding. He scored 66 points in the long go-round and 62 points in the final go, earning him 128 points in the average.
The women’s team had a tougher time at the EWC rodeo, earning 110 points and finishing sixth in the eight team field.
Three Eagle cowgirls placed in breakaway roping. Shelby Winchell, junior of Scottsbluff, finished third with 2.8 seconds in the long go-round and 3.2 seconds in the short go, netting 6.0 seconds in the average.
Amy Tierney, junior of Oral, S.D., entered finals at tenth with 3.3 seconds in the long go-round, but roped her second calf in 3.5 seconds to finish fifth with 6.8 seconds in the average.
Kelsey Scott, a graduate student hailing from Douglas, Wyo., was fifth heading into finals after posting 3.1 seconds in the long go. Scott fell behind Tierney after a 4.3 second time in the short go-round, finishing sixth with 7.4 seconds in the average.
Junior Raegan Scott, also of Douglas, was the only CSC cowgirl to place in goat tying. She finished seventh with 7.7 seconds in the long go-round and 8.0 seconds in the final go, taking 15.7 seconds in the average.
Amy Diechert, sophomore of Spearfish, S.D. finished eighth in the barrel race posting a two-round time of 33.72 seconds. Her first go was 16.89 seconds and advanced her to the finals in tenth place. She cut the cloverleaf pattern in the short go-round, tallying a 16.83 second time in the average.
The snow is going to put a damper on practice this week, but the rodeo team will have to use this time to rest up and prepare for next weekend’s Casper College Rodeo at Casper, Wyo., April 19-20.