By: Con Marshall
CSC Sports Information
FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- Led by junior Brooke McCully of Mullen, four Chadron State College cowgirls placed were among the 10 finalists in breakaway roping at the Colorado State University rodeo in Fort Collins last weekend.
McCully was the pacesetter. She won the breakaway championship by catching both of her calves in 2.6 seconds. She tied for fifth and sixth in the first go-round, was second in the finals on Sunday and had the fastest aggregate time to win the averages. There were 97 contestants in the event.
It was McCully's best performance since she was the runner-up in the breakaway roping at the CSC rodeo that opened the season in the Central Rocky Mountain Region last September.
Three of McCully's teammates were strong contenders at Fort Collins. All three also caught both of their calves.
Freshman Makayla Wray of Ord finished third overall. She was ninth in the first go-round in 3.1 seconds, then had the fastest time of 2.4 seconds in the finals.
Junior Shailey McAbee of Hyannis placed fourth overall. She was the final qualifier for the finals after roping her first calf in 3.2 seconds, and was third in the finals in 2.7 seconds.
Chadron State's fourth breakaway finalist was junior Elle Ravenscroft of Nenzel and Cody. She completed her runs successfully in 2.9 and 3.9 seconds to place sixth in the final standings.
CSC Coach Lane Day said this was one of the college's all-time outstanding performances in breakaway roping that he remembers. "It's great that all four caught both of their calves in such fast times so all of them placed in the top six," he noted.
Another Chadron State cowgirl, Bridget Romey, a sophomore from Hot Springs, had things going extra well when she won the first go-round of barrel racing in 15.37 seconds. But while trying to duplicate that run on Sunday, she and her horse knocked over a barrel. She still won nearly $500 for her opening go-round performance. There were 88 barrel racers at the rodeo.
The CSC women were second in the team standings with 305 points. Only the University of Wyoming with 350 scored more. All but 50 of those points came in goat tying.
Two CSC rough stock contestants also placed high. Jack Skavdahl of Harrison was third in saddle bronc riding with scores of 66 and 75 points and Cinch Kiger of Overton tied for third and fourth in bareback riding after earning 72 and 73 points during his two trips out of the chute.
In addition. Grant Turek of St Paul was seventh in the tie down roping standings in 10.2 and 12.2 seconds.
The next to last rodeo in the region this school year will be at Casper College this weekend.