Your future, our focus
BY SETH ROMSA TRIBUNE SPORTS WRITER
Courtesy of the Powell Tribune
Continuing with tradition the Northwest College rodeo team opened the season at home with the Trapper Rodeo on Friday and Saturday — with the cowboys finishing fourth Friday and second Saturday, and the cowgirls finishing fifth on both days.
“We had good crowds and some good rodeo,” coach Del Nose said.
The first day at Stampede Park in Cody was highlighted by a pair of winners for the Trappers, as Dylan Young and Weston LaPierre earned individual victories in their events.
Young claimed victory in the saddle bronc, finishing with a score of 79 to take the individual title by three points.
“He made a hell of a ride,” coach Del Nose said.
LaPierre took home a victory in the tie down roping, finishing in 9.6 seconds to take the win by 1.5 seconds over second place.
The final placer for the cowboys on the first day was Jordan Cust who was third in the saddle bronc with a 72.
The lone placer for the Trapper women was Nicole Groeneveld, who finished in a tie for fifth in breakaway roping in 3.4 seconds.
In the first rodeo the men finished with 290 points to take fourth in the standings, just 94 behind the winner Montana State University while the women placed fifth with 59.5 points.
The second rodeo, despite not having any victors, brought more high finishes for the Trappers and led to a higher score overall.
Gunner Plenty made a strong impression to start his sophomore season, finishing second in the team roping alongside teammate Mason Trollinger with a time of seven seconds — as well as finishing third in tie down (11.6 seconds) to finish with 233 total points and secure third in the all-around standings.
Other placements for the men came from Christopher Staley who took fourth in bareback (58) and LaPierre fifth in steer wrestling (8.3 seconds) to help Northwest finish higher on the second day.
On the women’s side, Groeneveld once again was the top finisher, this time taking seventh in breakaway roping (3.5 seconds).
The men accumulated 516 points on day two, behind winners MSU which had 733.5.
The women placed fifth once again with 32 points.
“It could have been a little better on both sides both days but we will take what we can get,” Nose said.
The Trappers will have this upcoming weekend off, before heading north into Montana for the rest of the season.
That will include a set of rodeos in Havre starting on Sept. 21.
“We are going into Havre in pretty good shape,” Nose said.
Overall the men’s team is sitting in second place in the Big Sky Region standings, just 200 behind MSU following the first weekend.