Athletes wrap up National High School Finals Rodeo
GILLETTE, Wyo. (KNEP) - The National High School Finals Rodeo wrapping up Saturday night with the championship short go round. Local cowboy Leif Meidell of Harrison competing in saddle bronc advanced into the championship go round and finished 4th with a time of 74.5.
Meidell’s average for the event over the week gives him a fourth place overall finish for the NHSFR with a 221.5. Utah’s Statler Wright the son of PRCA world champion Cody Wright took first in the average at 229 to win the title.
Gering’s Taydon Gorsuch wrapped up his NHSFR with a 17th place overall finish in the average with a time of 10.76 for steer wrestling.
Haiden Thompson of Yoder earned top 70 in four events for the average at the NHSFR. She would take 21st in reined cow horse (577), 48th in goat tying (18.49), 69th in breakaway (3.34), and 39th in team roping with partner Jace Mayfield (6.98)
Veteran’s Cord Herring and teammate Jade Espenscheid advancing into the championship short go round on Saturday for team roping. The duo would finish 6th in the championship with a time of 5.96. Their average over the week for the event gives them a sixth place finish at 24.57.
In the final state standings team Wyoming placed 3rd overall with an unofficial score of 7,981,36 points. Team Nebraska also finished in the top 15 with a 12th place finish scoring 3,642.85 points.
Final Local Results
Reined Cow Horse
Champion: Ryley Wilson (Canada) Average: 892
Haiden Thompson (Yoder) 1st Go: 23rd Overall (288.5) / 2nd Go: 19th Overall (288.5) / Average: 21st Overall (577)
Tate Talkington (Scottsbluff) 1st Go: 28th Overall (286.5) / 2nd Go: 33rd Overall (286.5) / Average: 28th Overall (573)
Girls Cutting
Champion: Riley Farris (Texas) Average: 438
Baliegh Lane (Huntley) 1st Go: 78th Overall (124) / 2nd Go: 57th Overall (136) / Average: 81st Overall (260)
Breakaway Roping
Champion: Jenna Hume (Wisconsin) Average: 8.23
Haiden Thompson (Yoder) 1st Go: 23rd Overall (3.34) / 2nd Go: NT / Average: 69th Overall (3.34)
Tie Down Roping
Champion: Tyler Calhoun (Texas) Average: 27.41
Cord Herring (Veteran) 1st Go: NT / 2nd Go: NT / Average: NT
Goat Tying
Champion: Jacee Graff (Utah) Average: 22.82
Ashlyn Henderson (Hyannis) 1st Go: 31st Overall (8.59) / 2nd Go: 58th Overall (9.55) / Average: 39th Overall (18.14)
Haiden Thompson (Yoder) 1st Go: 1st Overall (7.06) / 2nd Go: 98th Overall (11.43) / Average: 48th Overall (18.49)
Steer Wrestling
Champion: Coy Johnston (Stapleton, NE) Average: 13.79
Taydon Gorsuch (Gering) 1st Go: 2nd Overall (4.2) / 2nd Go: 32nd Overall (6.56) / Average: 17th Overall (10.76)
Wyatt Reichenberg (Harrisburg) 1st Go: 47th Overall (9.81) / 2nd Go: NT / Average: 96th Overall (9.81)
Saddle Bronc
Champion: Statler Wright (Utah) Average: 229
Leif Meidell (Harrison) 1st Go: 17th Overall (66) / 2nd Go: 2nd Overall (81) / Ch Go: 4th Overall (74.5)/ Avg: 4th Overall (221.5)
Roady Marsh (Wyoming-Minatare) 1st Go: NT / 2nd Go: NT / Average: NT
Monte Bailey (Hyannis) 1st Go: NT / 2nd Go: NT / Average: NT
Team Roping
Champion: James Arviso / Cashton Weidenbener (Arizona) Average: 19.24
Cord Herring 1st Go: 3rd Overall (6.05) / 2nd Go: 36th Overall (12.56) / Ch Go: 6th Overall (5.96) / Avg: 6th Overall (24.57)
Haiden Thompson (Yoder) 1st Go: NT / 2nd Go: 11th Overall (6.98) / Average: 39th Overall (6.98)
Sid Peterson (Torrington)-Kyler Clark (Yoder) 1st Go: NT / 2nd Go: NT
Welcoming home a world champion
NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (KNOP) - The Johnston family is no stranger to the sport of rodeo, and now the Johnston name is known across the nation. His name is Coy Johnston, and he is the best in the sport of steer wrestling. Johnston is the 2022 National High School Rodeo Association World Champion Steer Wrestler after winning contests in Gillette, Wyoming over the past week.
The town of Stapleton turned out Sunday around 6 p.m. to welcome Johnston home. Halfway from Thedford to Stapleton the local emergency vehicles met the Johnston family on their way home from Wyoming. Then they escorted the family and horses into Stapleton, where the town folk, family, and friends were waiting with pom poms, cowboy hats, bandanas, posters, and a lot of cheering.
Johnston winning the title is a big deal for Stapleton, and it is a big deal for Nebraska.
“That’s probably the best I’ve ever Bulldogged. It was fun. I was just having fun,” said Johnston after traveling through Stapleton and arriving home.
Jason and Jenny Johnston say Coy practices steer wrestling three times a week. He practices other events on other days. Jenny Johnston said she got very emotional when she saw all the support for her son. “It was pretty special seeing everyone supporting Coy,” she said. Winning on the rodeo scene is extra special for the Johnston familly. Coy’s grandpa Jim Johnston won the national title for bull riding sixty years ago in Valentine.
