All it took was a team meeting to get back on the winning track for the University of Wyoming rodeo teams.
After uncharacteristic performances to start the spring Central Rocky Mountain Region (CRMR) season two weeks ago, the Cowboys and Cowgirls returned to peak performances at last weekend's Lancer Rodeo, hosted by Eastern Wyoming College (EWC) in Torrington. Both teams posted convincing wins, which enabled the Cowgirls to retake the CRMR team lead while the Cowboys maintained a tight grip on the men's race.
The Cowgirls put up an impressive 460 points to take the EWC title and outdistance runner-up Gillette College, which posted 190. Sheridan College placed third with 175 points.
The UW men had a solid outing with 545 points to outpoint second-place Sheridan College by 20. Chadron State College came in third with 365 points.
"Overall, I was happy with how our student-athletes performed this past weekend," UW Coach Seth Glause says. "We had a team meeting this past week and got refocused and relit the fire. Our practices were very intentional and focused."
The Cowgirls' effort was led by a trio of team points members, which included Layni Stevens, who won the women's all-around title. The St. Lawrence, S.D., senior was the weekend rodeo's top barrel racer when she split the opening round's top time, then solidified her individual title by completing the cloverleaf pattern with the short go round's best time. She added more team points when she split second place in goat tying, though she did not place in the average.
Teammate Landry Haugen, of Sturgis, S.D., was second to Stevens in barrel racing on the strength of her runner-up time in the short go. Olivia Lay, from Elbert, Colo., rounded out the women's team scoring by placing third in breakaway roping. She opened the competition by tying for the opening round's top clocking.
Three other Cowgirls also placed at EWC. Makenzi Scott, of Torrington, and Brenna Herring, from Veteran, were fourth in barrel racing and breakaway roping, respectively, and Lucy Flynn, from Porterville, Calif., finished sixth in the breakaway roping average.
The one-two punch of Traven Sharon and David Gallagher paced the Cowboys' attack, as both UW team members placed in a pair of individual events, earning the two teammates second and third, respectively, in the all-around.
Sharon, of Ordway, Colo., won tie-down roping's short go, boosting him to second in the average. He then added fourth-place points in the saddle bronc riding average. Gallagher, from Brighton, Colo., was the steer wrestling runner-up with a pair of solid rounds. He won the long go and was second in the short round.
Greybull's Colton Farrow remained steady in bareback riding, placing third in the average, and teammate Rio Nutter, from Rapid City, S.D., added tie-down roping points.
Two other UW Cowboys won their respective events. Former CRMR steer wrestling champion Jacob Wang, of Baker, Mont., won the short round after finishing with the long go's second-best time. Teammate Aidan Sawyer, from Sheridan, won the bull riding event.
Six UW team ropers finished among the top six last weekend.
Brothers Rowdy and Roan Weil, of Kersey, Colo., were second, followed in third and fourth places by Bodie Herring, of Veteran, and partner Kash Reynolds, of Rozet; and Colby Runner, from Wellington, Colo., and Macie York, representing Casper College. Troupe Coors, from Loveland, Colo., combined with Gillette College's Keyton Hayden to place sixth.
"I was really proud of our team ropers and barrel racers," Glause says. "We had over half of the short round in both events."
As for the overall CRMR standings, the Cowgirls are back in first place after a one-week hiatus from the top position, with 2,550 points through a combined seven fall and spring rodeos with three events remaining on the docket. Gillette College is second, 255 points behind the UW women, while Laramie County Community College is third at 1,180.
The Cowboys lead the men's standings with 3,925 points, Sheridan College is next at 3,160, and Gillette College stands third with 2,105 points.
Colorado State University hosts the annual Skyline Stamped Rodeo this weekend. After a week off, the final two CRMR rodeos are scheduled, including the finale -- UW's annual Laramie River Rendezvous Rodeo April 24-26.
