PAGE B2 Tuesday, July 18, 2017 S GILLETTE NEWS RECORD S GILLETTE, WYOMING

FROM THE FRONT

Performance 3: Halfway through NHSFR first-go, team ropers sit Nos. 1 and 2 for Wyoming boys
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me to make a solid run and then wait

to see what those other guys are going
to do.
No one has set the blazing pace that
Ryan did, but Cameron doesnt think
that will be needed to make it to the
short-go Saturday night.
Daniel Eary of Spring Creek,
Nevada, leads the first-go at 5.31
seconds, Chance Anderson of
McKinnon, Wyoming, is second at
6.08 and Yuma, Colorados Chadron
Coffield finished in 6.22 seconds for
third so far in the first-go. No other
steer wrestler is under 7 seconds.
The way these cattle are looking,
an 8.1 and then you go out there (in
the second-go) and be a solid 6.0 or
something, youre going to be right
back where you want to be, Cameron
Gotreaux said.
Motivated by finish
Several cowgirls and cowboys didnt
do as great as they hoped at last years
NHSFR and want to make up for it
this week.
Kaitlyn Meek of Port Townsend,
Washington, is one of those cowgirls
expecting to do better. Meek finished
12th in goat tying last year, but started
out with a strong performance to keep
her in the championship hunt.
Meek tied her goat in 7.36 seconds,
which tied her with Chali Simpson of
Grants, New Mexico, for fourth place
in the first-go.
I thought the draw was pretty
good, Meek said. I went in not
knowing what I was going to get, but I
feel pretty good about it.
News Record Photo/sAlex Goodlett
Meek couldve placed higher in
the first-go, but 18 spots before her Jessie Hoegler of British Columbia competes in pole bending at Morningside Park on Monday in the first-go of the 2017 National High School Fi-
Sunday night, Lehi, Utah, cowgirl nals Rodeo.
Emmalee Dubois turned in the fastest
time so far. only three did. Garden Grove, Iowa, 79-point ride Monday morning. 82-point ride in bull riding sits atop
Dubios stopped the clock at 7.09 to cowboy Wyatt Dale had the high the leaderboard and Brayden Roe
lead the first-go heading into Tuesdays score with 75 points, which tied him Leaderboard changes of Wendall, Idaho, has the lone time
performance. for fourth in the first-go. Kanarraville, Utah, cowgirl under 10 seconds (9.83) to lead tie-
But Meek, who will compete again Zach Barnes of Fallon, Nevada, McKenna Coronado took over the down roping.
Friday morning, is confident she can scored 68 and Cody Abernathy of top spot in barrel racing in the first-go
make it to Saturday night with another Ola, Arkansas, posted a 65 Monday Texas, California, Idaho lead
Monday night with a time of 17.254.
good round. night. cutting, reined cow horse
Coronado was one of four compet-
It feels kind of the same. I went Of the 69 competitors to ride bulls
into it the same, Meek said of her itors at Morningside Park Betony Cassidee Wood of Rexburg, Idaho,
Sunday and Monday, 13 have posted in bareback, Dubois in goat tying and leads the first-go of reined cow horse
approach this year. Hopefully, the scores. In saddle bronc, the number of
other round goes well too. I feel pretty Smith in saddle bronc to take over heading into Tuesdays performances
scoring rides also is 13 and bareback
good going into the second-go. has 23. the first-go lead with a strong perfor- after scoring 299 points Monday night.
Evan Betony of Tonalea, Arizona, mance to cap off Monday. In boys cutting, Notrees, Texas,
Stingy bulls took over the first-go lead Monday Anna Dietrich of Greenville, cowboy Brendan Bennett leads the
Of the three roughstock events night with his 79-point ride in bare- Indiana, maintained her lead in pole way after his 148, also scored Monday
bull riding, saddle bronc and bareback back. In saddle bronc, Brett Coffman bending with her 19.981 time, also night. Dean Fedder of Pennsylvania
bull riding is proving the toughest of Idabel, Oklahoma scored 70, which from Sunday night. Clovis, California, cowgirl Taylor competes in tie-down roping at
to place through the first two days of tied him with Axtell, Texas, cowboy Kodey Hoss of La Junta, Colorado, Strohl and St. Charles, Iowa, cowgirl Cam-plex Morningside Park on
the NHSFR. Parker Fleet for second place in the leads breakaway roping with a Kate Jaros set the pace Sunday night Monday evening during the third
Monday nights performance saw 23 first-go. Tegan Smith of Winterset, 2.44-second effort, Hunter Ball each posting scores of 149 to lead girls performance of the National High
cowboys try to post a scoring ride, but Iowa, leads the first-go after his of Carsonville, Michigan, with his cutting. School Finals Rodeo in Gillette.

News Record Photos/Kelly Wenzel

Jada Maher of North Dakota competes has her goat tied up tightly during Mondays second
performance of the NHSFR in Gillette.

Tricks: Team ropers a highlight on Monday morning

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In past years, I was an 8.1

and 8.4 on my first runs, so
this was a really good way to Ranch Life Junkin Joes
start out.
Risse, who has attended
clinics by former Central
Booth B285 Mezzanine
Wyoming College coach Lynn
Smith, hopes to become
the first South Dakota goat
tyer since 1988 to win the
national title. She plans to
attend Frank Phillips College
in Borger, Texas, this fall on a
rodeo scholarship.
Team ropers shine
She wasnt the only former
top-10 NHSFR finisher to
experience the best first round Mark Price of South Carolina gets attempts to lasso a calf
of her career. in the tie-down roping event during the second perfor-
Team ropers Kellan and mance at the NHSFR on Monday.
Karson Johnson of Casper,
the runner-up national cham-
pions last year, drew a good heeler Jhett Johnson. I world, you dont know what
steer to get the flag in 6.34 knew those steers would be kind of second steer youll
seconds Monday morning, here, too. have, so you need to capital-
sliding them solidly into in Incidentally, Kellan and ize, said Kellan, who plans
the go-round behind their Jhett were flagged out in to attend Gillette College in
cousin, Jerren Johnson, and
his header Wheaton Williams Sheridan for a crossfire. the fall.
also of Wyoming.a Kellan and his little brother Last year, the Johnson
I had that steer up there at Karson, however, made a pic- brothers had come tight in
Sheridan, said Kellan, who ture-perfect run in Gillette. 7.1 seconds on their first
has been competing at PRCA When you get a good steer steer, and went on to win the
rodeos this summer with his like this, against the best reserve national champion-
dad, 2011 world champion high school rodeo guys in the ship.