CSC contestants off to good start at college finals rodeo

Shelby Winchell of Scottsbluff tied her first goat on Monday in 6.3 seconds to share fourth and fifth places in the opening go-round. Three contestants, all of them from Oklahoma schools, are tied for first in 6.2 seconds.

Also for Chadron State, Clayton Van Aken of Descanso, Calif., tied for second and third in tie down roping with a 9.0-second run Monday morning.  The only cowboy who was faster in the first go-round is Brysen Sechrist of Southwest Oklahoma State in 8.4 seconds.

Another Chadron State entry, Nate McFadden of Elsmere, Neb., is fourth in the bareback riding standings after two go-rounds have been completed.  McFadden scored 70 points on his first bronc on Sunday and 69.5 on Monday. 

The other Chadron State contestants didn’t do quites as well during their first performances.

Bareback rider John Kissack of Gillette, Wyo., received a no score in the first go-round and scored just 58.5 points on his second bronc.

Prestyn  Novak of Newell, S.D., caught and tied his first calf on Monday, but his time of 23.5 seconds was far off the pace.  Colby Anders of Bayard completed his first run in the steer wrestling in 10.1 seconds, putting him in 23^rd place in the first go-round. 

Chadron State freshman Dakota Rice of Kellogg, Idaho, was bucked off of both of his bulls on Sunday and Monday, but only eight of the 39 bull riders stayed aboard until the eight-second whistle sounded in the first go-round and just three of them made it on Monday.  None of the entries rode both of his bulls.

Later Monday, Van Aken and his partner, Trey Yates of Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, will make their first run in team roping later today (Monday).

The rodeo will continue through Saturday night, when the top 12 contestants in each of the events after the three go-rounds are completed will compete. All the action is in the Casper Events Center.