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NWC Rodeo Team Enters Spring Season Third In The Big Sky Region
As the weather warms up, so does the rodeo action at Northwest College. As the Trappers enter the spring season, the men’s team is ranked third in the Big Sky Region and the women are seventh with many riders aiming to climb the ranks in the upcoming spring rodeos.
“We are working hard and look for a good spring and we are ready to roll,” said head rodeo coach Del Nose.
Even though NWC is just a two-year college facing four-year universities, the Trapper men have a solid standing in the Big Sky Region with 1,987.5 points. Montana State University is at the top with 2,622 followed by University of Montana Western with 2,515.5.
University of Montana is in fourth with 887, less than half as many points as NWC.
The NWC women’s team is entering spring with 216 points.
“Well, we have a lot of practices in and it is promising,” Nose said. “The girls got a shot to make it, just 800 out of second. But the guys, they are working hard and things are going pretty good.”
Trapper cowboy Lane Lahaye is leading the all-around for the region with 870 points, most of which spurs from team roping with Shawn Bird. The duo is currently first in the region with 403 points, more than double the second-place team’s total.
“Those guys are automatic, we are not worried about them,” Nose said.
Three of the Trapper’s steer wrestlers are charging into the spring season in the region’s top 10 with Bubba Boots in second and Lahaye in sixth and Justin Honken in ninth.
“They’re bulldogging really good,” Nose said.
The roughstock riders have had a bit of rough luck with their draws in the fall. But four of the top 10 bull riders in the Big Sky Region currently hail from NWC with Casey Fredericks, Tyler Sterner and Garret Remington in fourth through sixth place respectively and Taylor Roberts not far behind in eighth.
“My bull riders are hit and miss,” Nose said.
The Trapper cowgirls have their work cut out for them this spring if they want to up their rank in the region. But practices over the last few weeks are showing improvements for NWC’s barrel racing, goat tying and breakaway roping.
“The girls are doing good there, getting their heads together,” Nose said.
Sierra Lyons ended the fall season ranked 12th in the region for barrel racing.
Lyons and Marlee Mussmann are currently 15th in the region for goat tying and breakaway roping respectively.
The Trappers will hit the arena at Montana State University for the spring’s first rodeo on April 7-10.
“I don’t know what will happen, but that is usually one of our good ones because everyone is pumped up and excited,” Nose said. “It is a double rodeo, so we usually come out of it with a lot of points and that has helped us out.”