STEPHENVILLE — Tarleton State University’s men’s and women’s rodeo teams punched their tickets to the College National Finals Rodeo in June with strong performances at this past weekend’s Tarleton Stampede in Stephenville.
CNFR qualifiers will appear at a meet-and-greet from 3 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 22, at Saddle Rags in Stephenville.
The two-time defending national champion men’s team secured the Lone Star Region title in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association behind top-four sweeps in saddle bronc and bareback riding, scoring 645 points at the regular-season finale.
Breakaway roper Grace Osborne and goat tyer Brooklyn Balch each won their events as Tarleton State’s women finished fourth at the Stampede and took second in the region for their third-straight CNFR berth.
Waitley Sharon turned in a 171.5 score total to win the saddle bronc riding, featuring an 85.5 in the long go-round and an 86 in the finals. Teammate Montgomery Parsons also topped 80 on both his rides, earning an 83 in the preliminaries and improving to an 84.5 in the short go for a runner-up 167.5. Colton Lewis’s third-place 160 included an 85.5 in the finals after a first round 74.5, and Clay Greenslade, who won the season’s Lone Star all-around title, finished fourth with a first ride score of 73 coupled with his 84 on Saturday night.
Taylon Carmody’s 170-point score won the bareback riding. Carmody’s total featured a rodeo-best 87.5 in the finals after a long go-round score of 82.5. Jace Lomheim was second with a 162 on scores of 76 and 85; Greenslade’s 151 on rides of 70 and 81 was third; and Devon Moore captured the regional crown in the event with a pair of 75s for a fourth-place 150.
Tie-down roper Travis Staley won his event and the regional crown, flashing a 16.5-second total time on runs of 8.5 and 8 seconds. Brody Clemons was third, flashing a 9.3 and an 8 for 17.3 on two runs, and Lucca Alvarenga was fourth in the average with a 9.8 in the long go and an 8.7 in the finals.
Kreece Dearing’s first-place 13-second combined score in steer wrestling featured a 5.5-second run in the finals. Dalton Porch snagged fifth for Tarleton State with his 13.2 on runs of 7.3 and 6.2 seconds, and Rawley Arballo posted a rodeo-best 5.0 in the long-go for seventh in the event.
Osborne’s 2.2 seconds in the breakaway roping preliminary round was tied for the fastest time in the rodeo. She added a finals-best 2.6 for a 4.8 to win the event.
Balch turned in a 5.8 for the quickest run in the long go-round of goat tying and added a 6.6 in the short go for a top combined time of 12.4 at the Stampede. Rhiley Montoya was fourth in the event with her 13.5 total on runs of 6.4 and 7.1 seconds, and Rylee Abel finished fifth with her 6.8 and 7.9 runs and a 14.7 in the average.
Briley Reeves’ 17.1 seconds in the first go-round and 16.12 in the finals captured eighth in barrel racing with a 33.2 total time.
Both teams will travel to Casper, Wyo., for the CNFR June 14-20.
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