Montana State Individuals Move Up During Second Go of 2023 CNFR

Tayla Moeykens

Photo by: Bobcat Creative Services

Montana State Individuals Move Up During Second Go of 2023 CNFR

6/13/2023 4:13:00 PM | Men's Rodeo, Women's Rodeo

Paige Rasmussen stands second in goat tying, Tayla Moeykens is third in barrels, Cate Hepper is fourth in breakaway roping

By: Bill Lamberty

Mike Nannini won the second go-round of steer wrestling on Tuesday while a pair of Bobcat cowgirls stand among the top three in individual events after two complete rounds of the 2023 College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyoming.

Nannini, a junior, marked a 3.5 seconds in the second round of the steer wrestling, 0.8 seconds better than his nearest competitor. Along with his 17.7 in the first go, Nannini stands 17^th entering the final round. The third go of the CNFR begins with the Tuesday evening performance, and continues each evening at 7 pm in Casper's Wyoming Ford Arena.

"Mike's got a lot of talent," said Bobcat coach Kyle Whitaker. "He really smoked one that round."

A pair of Bobcat women rose to near the top of their events through two rounds. Senior Paige Rasmussen followed her first-round 6.2 with a 6.0 in her second goat tying run, tied for third in the round and second place in the average after two go-rounds. That came after a scary moment in the barrel racing in the morning, when Rasmussen's horse Felix flipped and landed on her. "She was roughed up a little, but she made it back for the goat tying," Whitaker said. "And she rode the same horse, so I think he was OK, too."

Tayla Moeykens, a junior, marked a 14.25 in the second round of barrel racing, and her 28.10 is third on the average. Cate Hepper, a senior, is fourth after two rounds of breakaway roping after finishing ninth in the second go (2.5). Freshman Meghan McGinley's 2.3 was good for fifth in the go and she stands 20^th on the average.

Junior Bode Spring stands seventh in the tie-down roping after two go-rounds, while Trav Johnson (10^th), Jaden Whitman (11^th), Bode Spring (14^th) and Nannini all stand in the top 20 of the steer wrestling. "All four of our guys have a chance to make it to (Saturday's) short go in steer wrestling," Whitaker said. "We have to keep going, but they have good chances."

Rasmussen completes her third run in barrel racing Tuesday night, the only Bobcat in action. Alexis McDonald (barrel racing) is Montana State's only competitor on Wednesday.

"We just have to keep pecking away and see what happens," Whitaker said.

SADDLE BRONC: 16. Caleb Meeks (62.0-77.0-third go on Thursday)
TIE-DOWN ROPING: 7. Bode Spring (9.3-10.7-Thursday)
STEER WRESTLING: 10. Trav Johnson (12.3-5.6-Friday), 11. Jaden Whitman (9.1-8.9-Thursday), 14. Bode Spring (11.4-9.0-Thursday), 17. Mike Nannini (17.7-3.5-Thursday)
TEAM ROPING: 18. Hayden Taylor, heeler (NS-5.9-Thursday)

BARREL RACING: 3. Tayla Moeykens (13.85-14.25-Thursday), 30. Paige Rasmussen (14.92-14.97-Tuesday night), 35. Alexis McDonald (14.60-19.54-Wednesday)
BREAKAWAY ROPING: 4. Cate Hepper (2.7-2.5-Friday), 20. Meghan McGinley (NS-2.3-Friday), 49. Jacee Currin (NS-NS-Thursday), 49. Molly Salmond (NS-NS-Thursday)
GOAT TYING: 2. Paige Rasmussen (6.2-6.0-Thursday), 13. Jessica Stevens (5.9-7.0-Thursday), 27. Jacee Currin (7.1-7.1-Friday)

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