Rodeo wraps up the season in Laramie and Kautzman nominated for Walt Garrison Award

The rodeo team did well this last weekend but were unable to bring scores up to make it to the College National Finals Rodeo. Central Wyoming College men’s team finished the season in ninth place with 1,200 points while the women’s team kept a steady sixth place, finishing with 975 points.

While junior, Kaylee Burnett maintained her second place spot for the women’s all-around throughout the season, she fell short of points this last weekend putting her in fourth place with 857.5 points. Burnett placed fifth overall in the Central Rocky Mountain Region standings in the barrel racing and seventh in the goat tying.

“Kaylee didn’t have the weekend she needed and fell out of the second place position in the all-around race and so with that we don’t have anyone going to the CNFR this year,” said Drew Schrock, rodeo coach. Burnett will be transferring to Panhandle State University for her final year of eligibility.

“She has been a great role model and team captain for this program and will be dearly missed, we want to wish her luck,” Schrock said.

Although the team will not be competing at the CNFR, some team members had solid performances during their events.

In the tie down event sophomore, Tanner Nielson tied for first. In the long go-round Nielson had a time of 11.3 seconds and ten seconds in the short go-round. Nielson finished the season in 13^th overall.

Two CWC saddle bronc riders placed at the event; sophomores, Shawn Butner placed fifth and Garrett Buckley placed fourth at the rodeo. Both making a score in the long-go round with Butner scoring a 65 and Buckley scoring a 60. Both came back with scores in the short go-round with Butner scoring a 55 and Buckley with a score of 62.

Freshman, Daniel Huxtable placed tenth in the steer wrestling. Huxtable received a time of 5.4 in the long go-round and a no time in the short go-round.

In the breakaway event junior, Chaylie Hulme placed ninth and freshman, Brooke Hursh placed tenth. Both girls had times of 3.6 seconds in the long go-round but failed to receive a time in the short go-round.

Senior, Trae Kautzman and team roping partner from the University of Wyoming, Brody Searse placed sixth with a time of 7.2 in the long go-round bringing them back to the short go-round however the team received a no time.

Kautzman was nominated for the Walt Garrison Award and was chosen as the final nominee for the Central Rocky Mountain Region. He was nominated by fellow competitor, Dalton Ward, from the University of Wyoming and the student director for the Central Rocky Mountain Region. Each region nominates an individual who exemplifies the qualities of initiative, loyalty, tenacity, commitment, honesty, perseverance, integrity and leadership.

The Walt Garrison Award winner will be announced at the CNFR. There are eleven regions in the nation and all will come to Casper for the CNFR in June. The winner will receive a $2,500 scholarship and the college will also receive $2,500.

“This is the first time we’ve had anyone nominated for this award,” Coach Schrock said. “I couldn’t think of a better person than Trae to win the Walt Garrison Award, he always has a great attitude, big smile and is willing to do whatever it takes to get a job done or help out a fellow teammate or someone from another team. If this world was filled with people like him, we would have no problems.”

Coach Schrock is busy recruiting rodeo members for next fall. The fall season will start Sept. 11 and CWC will host the first rodeo.