RANGELY I CNCC Rodeo Coach Jed Moore had a smile on his face following the College National Finals in Casper, Wyo., this past weekend.
“Whew! What a week!” Moore said. “(Assistant rodeo coach) Paige (Yore) and I just got home from the CNFR on Sunday, and we’ve got big smiles on our faces. Three of our four athletes qualified for the championship round held on Saturday, and when the dust had settled, the CNCC rodeo team had three athletes finishing in the top 12 in the nation and a final team ranking of 26th in all levels of college rodeo.”
Freshman bareback rider Colton Onyett competed exceptionally well in the first three rounds. Unfortunately, Onyett missed his mark out in the final round, which resulted in a “no” score.
“Onyett still made us very proud by competing the way he did,” Moore said. “He finished his 2014-2015 season as the No. 12 bareback-rider in college rodeo.”
Onyett will be back at CNCC next year with new fire and excitement to be a regional and national champion, Moore said.
Sophomore team roper Brody Adams continued to compete at a high level with CNCC graduate Clay Crozier (now at Southern Utah University) heading for him. Adams and Crozier entered the championship round in fifth place and finished the year as the No. 4 team ropers in the nation. Adams will be returning to CNCC next year to finish his degree and pursue a regional and national title again, Moore said.
Freshman bull rider Tyler Stueve competed well during the week and entered the championship round in ninth place nationally. The quality of stock at this event was outstanding and the bulls won every battle on championship Saturday, pitching a 12-0 shutout.
“Our second bull rider, Colby Demo, matched up against some exceptional bulls during the week but was unable to qualify for the championship round,” Moore explained. “Colby is very excited to be returning this fall and looking to qualify a second time for the CNFR.”
“CNCC rodeo is looking ahead to this fall , when we will be bringing in our largest team to date,” Moore said. “(Coach) Paige and I are extremely excited about our men’s and women’s teams in this upcoming year.
“The Spartans will continue to be a competitive force in the Rocky Mountain region and on the national level,” he said. “And we extend a huge thank you to all of the faculty, staff, administration, and community members who have supported us throughout the last four years.”
