Cowgirls Victory Leads to CNFR Berth

The Wyoming Cowgirls closed out their regular season of rodeo competition with a big victory Sunday at the Hansen Arena.

Wyoming won their 67th annual Laramie River Rendezvous Rodeo and clinched a berth to the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) next month in Casper.

The Cowgirls scored a season-best 445 points, which helped them finish second in the Central Rocky Mountain Region (CRMR) standings. UW came in behind Gillette College, but held off a surge from Northeastern Junior College by 62 points.

Sophomore Kailee Webb won the opening round, championship round and average in barrel racing. That propelled her to the individual regional title.

Teammate Amelia Anderson, a junior, tied for first in opening round of goat tying and finished in a tied for fifth in the average. Sophomore Josee Vogel was third in barrel racing and ninth goat tying.

It will be a full, four-member team for the Wyoming Cowgirls at the CNFR. Karlee Peterson will also compete in goat tying.

The Cowboys struggled and scored 100 points for ninth place at the home rodeo. They finished back in seventh in the CRMR standings.

The Pokes did qualify three for the CNFR. Sophomore Jacob Smith won the regional bull riding title. Senior Dillon Simonson came in third in steer wrestling. The third member is Jaden Clark, who earned an automatic bid as the regional student director.

The top two teams and top three individuals in each event qualify for the CNFR.

The CNFR is slated for June 12-18, 2016 at the Casper Events Center.