TORRINGTON, Wyo. -- March 27, 2023 -- Chadron State College's rodeo contestants had one of their best performances in several years last weekend at the Eastern Wyoming College rodeo in Torrington. Coach Lane Day noted that his team had many entries reach the finals and finish with good results.

Highlights included Grant Turek's victory in tie down roping and having five cowgirls each rope their calf in 3.4 seconds or less in the opening go-round and advance to the finals on Sunday.  More good news was that each of them was rewarded for her quick work, and their paychecks added up to more than $1,500. 

There were 92 breakaway ropers at the rodeo.

Turek won the first go-round of tie down roping in 10.5 seconds and was the runner-up in the finals in 9.9 seconds. The senior from St. Paul, Neb also won the event at the Chadron State rodeo last fall and currently is second in both the tie down and all-around cowboy regional standings.  

Here's a summary of the breakaway ropers' success:
             
--Rylee Naprestek of Gothenburg placed second overall with times of 3.2 and 2.9 seconds. She tied for fifth in the first go-round and was second in Sunday's finals
             
-Brooks Worman of Sheridan, Wyo., placed fourth overall with identical 3.4-second runs. She was seventh in the first go and tied for third in the finals.
             
--Peyton Gorwill of Arthur shared third place in the opening go-round in 3.1 seconds and finished fifth in the final standings after catching her second calf in 6.8 seconds.
             
--Amanda Sellin of Norfolk also caught her first calf in 3.1 seconds to match Gorwill's time. She didn't catch her second calf, but was rewarded for her quick work in the opening go-round.
             
--McKenna Fisher of Hershey shared fifth place with Naperstek in the first go with her 3.2- second run to earn nearly $200
             
Two more CSC cowgirls also made the barrel racing finals at Torrington. Sierra Lee of Rhame, N.D., had times of 15.53 and 15.46 seconds to finish fifth overall and Gorwill was sixth in the first go-round in 15.50 seconds, but tipped over a barrel on her second run.
             
Two CSC cowboys also reached the finals of team roping, which had 130 entries. Tanner Whetham of Morrill and his partner, Cameron Jensen of the University of Wyoming, placed fifth in the final standings in 6.7 and 11.5 seconds.  Colton Storer of Arthur and Rhett Witt of Laramie County Community College were third in the opening go-round in 6.5 seconds, but didn't get a time in the finals.
             
Another CSC entry, Jake Chasek of Mitchell, tied for sixth in the first go-round of tie down roping in 11.5 seconds.
             
The EWC rodeo was the second of the spring season. The first was at Gillette College on March 17-19. Two CSC cowgirls finished sixth in their events.

Phanette Gray of LaPlant, S.D., was second in the first go-round of barrel racing in 15.45 seconds and had a 16.06 run in the finals, and Fisher had to settle for sixth in breakaway roping despite catching her calves in 3.1 and 3.2 seconds.

Shailey McAbee of Hyannis also caught her first calf in 3.2 seconds, but missed on her second run. Blaine Flack of Crawford was seventh in the first round of saddle bronc riding with 65 points.

Colorado State at Fort Collins will host this weekend's action in the Central Rocky Mountain Region.