High School National Champions Crowned in Wyoming

The end of the season has arrived for high school athletes around the country. Their final competition concluded in Rock Springs, Wyo. where National Champions were crowned.

NHSRA

Thousands of high school rodeo athletes and their families have come and gone from Rock Springs, Wyo. where dreams were realized and some lessons were learned. No matter the outcome, kids left there better just by the experience.

Trevor Brazile posted a video about his high school experience and how whether or not you have success there, will not define your career. He sure is not wrong and has some great advice to offer young kids in the ranks.

"I didn't have much success at Nationals. I want to go get a hold of everyone who doesn't have success here. You are not judged by one rodeo," Brazile said.

Something he said really resonated, "You just can't let it define you."

This is true or both the success and the failures within the arena.

While there were plenty of lessons to be learned at the National High School Rodeo Finals, there were also some dreams that came true for a few, select athletes who walked away with National Championships.

National High School Rodeo Finals Results

1. Barrel Race
2. Bareback Riding
3. Boys Cutting
4. Breakaway Roping
5. Bull Riding
6. Girls Cutting
7. Goat Tying
8. Pole Bending
9. Reined Cow Horse
10. Saddle Bronc Riding
11. Steer Wrestling
12. Team Roping
13. Tie-Down Roping

Barrel Race

Morgan Beckstrom / NHSRA

In the barrel race, Morgan Beckstrom from Spanish Fork, Utah was a dominant force all week. Winning round one with a 17.157 second run, she came back to also take the win in round two with the fastest time seen all week, a 16.943.

The finals was just a nice, smooth, safe run of 17.352 which was good enough to give her the win in the average where she totaled 51.452.

Abagail Olson from Sheridan, Wyo. finished as the Reserve Champion with her total time on three runs of 51.672.

Bareback Riding

In the rough sport of bareback riding, Texas brought their best talent and took home the championship.

Kash Loyd from Cleburne, Texas rode three horses and scored a total of 231.5 points to be the champion.

Loyd finished sixth in the first round when he scored 72-points, came back to ride another horse for 80.5 points in round two for the reserve championship and then finished the deal by riding his finals horse for 79 points.

Sean Mahoney from Bend, Ore. was the Reserve Champion by completing his three rides with 227.5 points.

Boys Cutting

In the Boys Cutting, Cody Gann repeated his championship from 2023. The Alabama cowboy, who rides for team Tennessee, outscored the field by 7.5 points to win with a total of 452.

Scoring a 150 in round one and then pairing it with another matching 150 in round two took him to the finals in the number one position. Gann upped his game in the finals by scoring a remarkable 152 to earn the title.

Team Utah took home the Reserve Title with Luke Haskell from Payson, Utah scoring a 444.5 over his three runs.

Breakaway Roping

Kansas found success in the breakaway roping with Atlanta, Kan. own Baylee Barker winning the average and the National Championship by roping three calves in a total of 8.19 seconds.

Always a tough competitor, Hadley Thompson of Yoder, Wyo. was the Reserve Champion with her total time on three of 8.25 seconds.

Barker was a solid 2.76 seconds in the first round which placed her 11th overall. Round two found a faster 2.28 next to her name. Then in the finals, the cowgirl delivered with her 3.15 second run which was just solid and good enough for the win.

Bull Riding

The action in the rough stock arena with the bull riding was fierce and a close race. In the end, Texas cowboy Jack Mitchell was the winner with his total on three of 230.5 points. Fellow Texan and well-known bull rider, John Crimber was second with his score of 229.5.

To earn the National Title, Mitchell was 75 on his first bull, 69 in round two, and then an exceleent 86.5 in the final round to give him the win.

Girls Cutting

Lily Erwin / NHSRA

Florida showed up and showed out in the Girls Cutting. Lily Erwin from Lady Lake, Fla. was a dominant force and earned the National Championship with a 451 point total on three cuts.

In round one, Erwin scored a 149 to be tied for third and fourth in the round. The cowgirl and her stellar mount upped the score a bit in round two with a 150 and then came back in the finals to mark a 152 for the win.

Preslie Green from Texas is the Reserve Champion by marking a total of 443 points on her three performances.

Goat Tying

Team Texas struck again in the goat tying event. Drew Ellen Stewart from Normangee, Texas was the leader of the pack in the average and earned the National Title. On a total of three goats, Stewart tied them all in 21.05 seconds.

All around cowgirl Hadley Thompson was the Reserve Champion with her total of 22.05 on three.

Stewart took the win in round one with a smoking 6.87-second run. She stayed consistent in round two with a 7.03-second run to earn her the second place finish. Knowing that she had some cushion, Stewart was solid in the finals and finished with a 7.15 to tie for second but be good enough for the overall National Championship.

Pole Bending

The Pole Bending was one of the most excitig events of the National High School Rodeo Finals. The talent on display was incredible, both horse and rider. Zoey Wagoner from North Dakota proved to be the best, but she had some stiff competition.

In round one, Wagoner navigate the course with an incredible time of 19.707-seconds. The only other horse and rider combo to clock in the 19 second range was Kash Borsy from High River, Alberta, Canada when she stopped the clock at 19.985 in round one.

Round two Wagner showed off her skills and may have run one of the fastest pole bending runs to be seen in these parts of the country. She finished her run in 19.375-seconds. Gracie Snyder set the crowd on fire when she and her horse from Oklahoma clocked a 19.664 followed by Borsy making another great at 19.909.

When it came time for the final round, Rhylan Morgan from Indiana stepped up to the plate for the win with a 19.923 with Wagoner on her heels at 19.938. The absolutely show-stopping performance of Wagoner and her horse was amazing to watch. The duo certainly earned their National Championship title.

Reined Cow Horse

Repeating her 2023 National Title, Landri Lisac from Pueblo, Colo. came out on top of the 2024 competition as well. She gathered 885 points on her three runs to finish ahead of Nevada's Marinna Mori who scored an 882.5.

Lisac put on a performance in round one that was worth 295.5 points just a half point behind Sierra Telford of Idaho. In round two Lisac got the win with a 297.5. Finals night, Arizona's cowgirl, Ruby Robbins and Mori splitting the win with identical scores of 295. Lisac scored a 292 to pick up fourth, but clearly enough to earn the title.

Saddle Bronc Riding

Oregon's Shane Scott rode three saddle bronc horses to a total of 236.5 points to earn the National Title by more than 10 points.

The new titlest took the win in round one with a 79-point ride. He then came back in round two and put an exclamation point on his talent by scoring an 82 for the round win. His finals showing was the lowest score he had all week, but with the lead he came in with to the short go, it didn't matter. Finishing the short go with a score of 75.5 and the fourth place position was plenty enough to finish what he started early on in the week.

Utah's Trygg Madsen from Morgan, Utah ended the week with the Reserve Title by riding all three of his broncs and earning 226 points.

Steer Wrestling

Walker Goffard / NHSRA

Walker Goffard of Berlin, Wisconsin took top honors in the Steer Wrestling competition. He managed to dismount his horse and throw three steers in 14.73-seconds while Cache Montgomery from Oregon finished in the Reserve Champion spot with 16.13.

Goffard was a 4.92 in round one to split the sixth and seventh position with Jake Holmes of Team Missouri. The Wisconsin man came back in round two to get split the win for the round when he threw his steer in 4.89 seconds matched with Reece Kane of Washington.

During the short round, Goffard stayed solid by throwing his steer in 4.92 seconds again. He finished the round in the fifth place but well enough to earn the National Title.

Team Roping

Two cowboys who have been hot on the rodeo trail and winning this year for multiple associations, came to Wyoming on a mission and they accomplished it. Arizona put their incredible talent on display when All-Around Cowboy Ketch Kelton and Denton Dunning backed in the box for the team roping.

The duo from the desert easily earned the National Title with their 18.66 on three time, well ahead of second place from Jace Jepson and Kade McKnight from Nevada who stopped the clock in 21.95-seconds on three.

The Arizona team finished rounds one and two in third place. They then came back to the short round and finished second with a 6.35-second run. In all, they were the most consistent and fastest team and earned the title.

Tie-Down Roping

Oklahoma really put on a show at the National Finals in the Tie-Down Roping. Chizm Kuykendall was the guy who drew good calves and used them to the best of his ability, earning him the National Title. When the last calf ran, Kuykendall totaled 27.69 seconds. Fellow Oklahoma cowboy Cash Evans was second with his 28.35 on three.

Kuykendall earned the first round win with a 8.55 second run. In round two, the Carnegie, Okla. cowboy stopped the clock at 10.28 to stay in the top 15. When the short round rolled around, Kuykendall threw his hands in the air at 8.86 seconds to be the National Champion.