Central Wyoming College rodeo team will have a talented lineup for this year’s season. Rodeo coach Drew Schrock has been busy recruiting new members for the team and this year many of them have been National High School Finals qualifiers.
More than ten will be incoming freshman this year and will join the team this fall making a total of 30 rodeo team members. Nineteen are from Wyoming and five are from Fremont County. The five are all return athletes; Piper Naylon, Brooke Hursh, Shana Lyons, Alex Bone and Danny Huxtable are all coming back for their second, third and fourth year of eligibility.
During Wyoming’s high school finals rodeo, Brady Thurston of Lance Creek qualified for Nationals in saddle bronc and steer wrestling; placing second in both events and is an alternate in the tie-down roping. Thurston also won the all-around title. Teigen Finnerty of Wheatland won the reserve all-around; placing second behind Thurston. Finnerty also placed third in the steer wrestling and fourth in the tie down roping.
“As a coach, we are all going for the all-around athletes. A kid who can be in multiple events and do well is good for the team,” Schrock said. “We have a pretty solid team coming in this fall and I look forward to working with all of them.”
Jaden Burnett of Farson is an alternate in team roping for Nationals. Tanner Butner of Pinedale competed in Idaho and was state champion in saddle bronc and Casey Hale from Wash., qualified in team roping; both will be going to Nationals this July. The NHSFR will be in Rock Springs; starting July 12.
Coming back to the team for his last year of eligibility is saddle bronc rider, Colton Miller, who took home the championship buckle at the Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association rodeo in Abbyville, Kan., May 16. Miller competed for CWC his freshman and sophomore year and during that time was regional champion both years. After his sophomore year, Miller transferred to Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas. While there, he received his associate’s degree; he will pursue an additional degree while attending CWC. The National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association’s eligibility for students to rodeo is four years at junior colleges.
Steer wrestler, Coltin Hill will also be returning to CWC after transferring to another college to compete with the team. Last year he qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo and was unable to compete after a knee injury.
“It is neat to have both of them coming back to compete with us,” Schrock said. “Colton Miller will continue to attend PRCA rodeos if he is running for the National Finals Rodeo so it will be a wild fall for him competing at the collegiate level and the pro level.”
“It speaks highly of the program and I’m excited to have that type of leadership and talent coming back on the team,” Schrock said.
