Rodeo team members claim 2 titles

Although the CSC cowboy’s did not continue their winning streak during the rodeo hosted by Casper College, members of both CSC’s men’s and women’s rodeo teams excelled this weekend in Casper.

The CSC cowboys and cowgirls were led by Nate McFadden, senior of Elsmere; Wyatt Clark, graduate student of Wellfleet; and Shaylee Hance, senior of Circle, Montana.

McFadden earned third place in the long go-round of bareback and second in the short go-round. He earned enough points to push him to the lead in the average to take the championship title.

“I was pretty nervous because I had to watch every guy ride before I knew that I had won it, and once I knew that I won I was really excited because it was my first win of my college career,” McFadden said. “I’m just going to practice and workout exactly the same as I have all year to stay prepared for Laramie.”

Clark placed fifth in both go-rounds with 66 and 67 points, and his consistency allowed him to pick up second in the averages.

Prestyn Novak, freshman of Newell, South Dakota, placed fifth in the steer wrestling averages. He tied for eighth place in the first go-round with a time of 5.5 seconds and was fifth in the second go-round with a run of 6.2.

Another CSC steer wrestler, Jake Kasselder, senior of Ericson, won the opening go-round with a 4.2 run, but wrestled his second steer in 15.1, which left him short of placing in the averages.

The CSC cowboys scored 275 points in Casper and landed third in the team standings. Gillette College won the men’s championship title with 545 points and Casper College was runner-up with 400 points.

Hance tied for second and third in the first go-round of goat tying with a time of 7.9 and went on to win the second go-round with a time of 7.3 to win the average in the event.

“In the goat tying, I was so nervous, but I was also pretty excited to have a turn around,” Hance said.” “I definitely plan on winning Laramie. My dry spell is over. My mental game has been the biggest thing I’ve been fighting this year so positive thoughts have been something I’ve been trying to focus on.”

Hance also earned the all-around cowgirl title by reaching the short go-round in three events. She tied for second in the long go-round of breakaway roping with a run of 2.7, and joined with Brandi Cwach, freshman of Geddes, South Dakota, to make the team roping finals. Even though both of those entries took no times in the championship go-rounds, Hance earned enough points to win the title of all-around cowgirl.

Cwach, who has improved this spring season, placed third in the goat tying after making an 8.4 run in both the long and short go-rounds.

Danni Jo Hinman, senior of Hay Springs, placed fourth in the breakaway averages after roping her calf in 3.2 in the first go-round and 3.6 in the final go-round.

“I was very pleased with my runs this weekend and I plan on doing the same thing in Laramie,” Hinman said. “I believe that my success came from God. He blessed me with an amazing horse and we are definitely starting to click.”

Amy Deichart, senior of Spearfish, South Dakota, placed sixth in both go-rounds of the barrel racing with runs of 15.88 and 15.99. She earned seventh place in the averages. Deichert also made it to the short go-round of the goat tying.

The CSC women’s team, led by Hance, earned runner-up at the Casper rodeo with 205 points, just 15 points behind champion Laramie County Community College, Cheyenne, Wyoming.

“I am very proud of our girl’s team,” Hinman said. “They work hard every day and they have so much talent so it always feels amazing to see it all come together. Can’t wait to see how it all plays out in Laramie.”

The CSC men are now third in the region with 3,280 points total, trailing behind Casper with 3,505 and Gillette with 3,445 on the year with just one rodeo left in the season before the National College Final Rodeo.

“I think the keys to my success this year are Coach (Dustin) Luper and my teammates,” McFadden said. “We push each other to work hard and win. Our team has such a positive attitude this year and that makes rodeo a blast. Success comes way faster when you’re having fun.”