UW Rodeo Teams Place Among Top Three in Spring Opener

If the opening weekend of the Central Rocky Mountain Region's (CRMR) spring rodeo season is any indication, both the men's and women's team races will be contested over the four remaining competitions.

The Sheridan College men's team took the spring's first rodeo at Gillette College last weekend in a close battle with the season-long leaders -- the Cowboys of the University of Wyoming -- while the host Pronghorn women dominated their home event over the Cowgirls.

The UW women had matched their Cowboy counterparts in taking the early team race after the conclusion of the fall season last October. However, the Gillette women, for the first time, now narrowly lead the CRMR over the Cowgirls.

On the strength of their depth, the Generals scored all but 15 of their 600 total points in bareback and saddle bronc riding, topping the UW men by just 50 points. The Pronghorns were a distant third with 400.

The Cowboys maintained their overall regional lead with 3,380 total points through six combined fall and spring rodeos, with four remaining on the 2025-26 season. Sheridan College is second at 2,635, and Gillette College is third with 1,985 points. Just the top two teams in the region advance full lineups to this summer's College National Finals Rodeo in Casper.

With their 680 points over the weekend, the Gillette College women have taken the regional lead by just 15 points over the Cowgirls, who had been the team leaders from the get-go last fall. The UW women were third in the opening competition last weekend with 215 points and have 2,090 points on the season, while the Pronghorns are at 2,105.

After finishing as the runner-up in Gillette last weekend with 255 points, Laramie County Community College sits in third place with 1,055 points.

"The region is strong this year. I expect the individual and team races to be close each weekend, and it is a testament to the competition for all the teams," UW Coach Seth Glause says. "I look forward to seeing all of the races shape up over the coming weeks."

Traven Sharon, a freshman from Ordway, Colo., led the Cowboys in individual scoring with 265 points. He won the tie-down roping event for the first time in his collegiate career by taking the short go and placing fourth in the opening round. He added points in his best event, saddle bronc riding, finishing third in the average.

"Traven showed up in a big way for us on the men's side," Glause says.

Treg Thorstensen, of Lantry, S.D., combined with teammate Rio Nutter, of Rapid City, S.D., to win the opening round of team roping and place third in the average. Thorstensen also added team points in tie-down roping.

David Gallager, from Brighton, Colo., finished sixth in steer wrestling, and Colton Farrow, from Greybull, split second place in the bareback riding average.

Three other UW Cowboys also placed in the first spring rodeo. Sam Gallagher, from Brighton, Colo., was the steer wrestling runner-up, recording the second-best times in both rounds of competition; Hayes Hammond, from Valentine, Neb., combined with Chadron State University's Makayla Wray to place fourth in team roping; and Thayne Kimbrough, of Ohiowa, Neb., took sixth in steer wrestling.

Landry Haugen paced the UW women by winning the goat tying competition. The Sturgis, S.D., Cowgirl had the second and third best times in two rounds. Teammates Olivia Lay, from Elbert, Colo., and Layni Stevens, from St. Lawrence, S.D., also added team points in breakaway roping and goat tying, but neither placed in the average.

A pair of Cowgirls also placed last weekend in breakaway roping. Lucy Flynn, from Porterville, Calif., and Jordyn McNamee, of Buffalo, were fifth and sixth, respectively.

"The women's team had some struggles, but we persisted through," Glause says. "Landry won the goat tying, and that helped give us a boost."

Eastern Wyoming College hosts the next CRMR rodeo this weekend in Torrington.

"We definitely did not have our best weekend, but I look forward to Torrington Friday," Glause says. "I look for our students to bounce back and give a winning effort this weekend."