Cole holds on for 2nd consecutive win

Chasen Cole, junior of Hermosa, South Dakota, led CSC entries at the fourth Central Rocky Mountain region rodeo hosted by Lamar Community College, Lamar, Colorado. Cole won first in the bull riding for the second week in a row. Brandi Cwach, junior of Geddes, South Dakota, was a standout for the women’s team, coming in as the runner-up in the all-around cowgirl standings.

Cole scored 71 points in the first go-round of bull riding, putting him in second. He stayed on in the short go and scored 81 points, Cole was the only cowboy to stay on his bull for eight seconds during the championship round Sunday.

Cordale Martin, junior of Panhandle, Texas, won the bull riding at the first rodeo of the season in Chadron, was second to Cole in Sheridan, but was unable to score at Lamar.

Cwach made it to the short go in goat tying, breakaway roping, and team roping. She tied a 7.9 seconds in the long round of goat tying and 7.7 in the short go, putting her in second in the average by a tenth of a second. She placed sixth in the breakaway roping with runs of 3.5 and 12.5. She did not score in the team roping after reaching the championship round.

Prestyn Novak, junior of Newell, South Dakota, and his partner, Colby Hetzel, of Sheridan College, earned second in team roping with a run of 7.7 in the long round, and 6.9 in the short go. They had the fastest time in the short go, and their total time of 13.7 was just a tenth of a second behind the winning team.

In the tie-down roping, Sam Bolden, senior of Oglala, South Dakota, finished fourth with times of 11.3 and 10.0. His second run was the second fastest time posted in the short go.

“I came back to the short go 10th,” Bolden said. “And the calves were good. I knew I’d have to make a quick run to get in the money, and it all worked out. I plan on being consistent the rest of this fall, and plan on drawing good and make good runs.”

Elsie Fortune, senior of Interior, South Dakota, made it to the short go with a run of 2.9, putting her in a three-way tie for first place, but she missed her calf in the short round.

“I just need to keep on staying consistent and getting points every weekend,” Fortune said. “As for the team, I am excited to see what the rest of the fall holds. So far in the season we have had some bad luck, but we have some good talent and the potential to do well as we go into the last two rodeos.”

Fortune and Lance Neuerburg, junior of Gill, Colorado, were also among the 10 teams to reach the team roping finals. However, they did not catch in the finals.

The men’s team finished ninth in the team standings with 140 points and the women finished fourth with 205, according to the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association website.

This weekend’s rodeo will be hosted by Central Wyoming College in Riverton.