Bobcat Rodeo Teams Exit Fall Season in Strong Position in Big Sky Region Standings

Bobcat Rodeo Teams Exit Fall Season in Strong Position in Big Sky Region Standings

1/29/2024 12:01:00 PM | Men's Rodeo, Women's Rodeo

MSU Fall Rodeo Results & Standings 2023-24 Big Sky Region Fall Standings & Results

MSU opens spring in 1st place in regional men's standings, and 2nd in women's standings

By: Bill Lamberty

BOZEMAN, Montana – Montana State enters the spring portion of the 2023-24 college rodeo season in a familiar position on the men's side, and uncharted territory on the women's.

Like last year, the Bobcat men's team is locked in a tight team battle with UM Western. Montana State carries a slim lead into the spring season – which begins April 11 in Worthington Arena – with 3,417.5 points to UM Western's 3,375.5. Unlike recent seasons, when the Cats dominated the Big Sky Region women's season from wire-to-wire, MSU Northern exits the fall with 1,998.5 points to MSU's 1,685.16 points.

"I thought we had a strong fall season," MSU head rodeo coach Kyle Whitaker said. "The region is tougher this year so it's harder to get separation at the top, but I like where both the guys and girls are going into the spring."

The Bobcats won three of the five fall men's rodeos, with UMW taking the other two, and those two regional powers jockeyed for positioning throughout the fall. That rings familiar, because the Cats didn't clinch year's regional title until the leaning at the wire to pass UM Western in the season's final event. The 2024 campaign may not be decided until the season's final moments either, but it won't be because of any weaknesses on the MSU side of the ledger.

"I thought we did really good" in the men's competition during the fall. "We have some guys who are competitive nationally, and if they improve in their weaker events we'll have a chance at the (College National Finals Rodeo in June)."

As has become customary, the Bobcats stand strongest in steer wrestling, with nine of the top 13 Big Sky Region bulldoggers wearing Blue and Gold. Traver Johnson (1^st) and Jaden Whitman (2^nd) set the pace, but Kaden Conway is 4^th and Cole Detton 5^th. "We have a lot of guys that really love steer wrestling," Whitaker said.

He emphasized, though, that point-scoring is at a premium in throughout the regional season and particularly in Casper, Wyoming, at the CNFR. "Every event is important, and they need to have that desire to improve their other events to help the team," he said" Several Bobcats had outstanding falls in other events. Cole Gerhardt is 2^nd and Wes Shaw 3^rd in bareback, Wyatt Jensen is 2^nd in tie-down roping, and Bode Spring and Whitman form the region's 6^th-ranked team roping duo.

On the women's side, the youthful Bobcats won the second rodeo at Northwest College and finished second in three other events. That may have been enough to reach the top of the standings had it not been for a tough weekend in Dillon. "We had a bad rodeo at (UM) Western in the last weekend (of the fall)," Whitaker said, "and (MSU) Northern had a good rodeo there. We're younger this year so there's going to be some growing pains. When it's just one (bad) rodeo you should be able to make it up so I'm not worried where we're at right now, but we'll have to bring our 'A' game. I'm excited about how (MSU's women) will perform in the spring."

Tayla Moeykens, who has won a national championship for the Bobcats, enters the spring 1^st in the barrel racing and 3^rd in breakaway roping. Alexis McDonald is 2^nd in barrel racing and Claire Kalafatic 3^rd, while Meghan McGinley is 2^nd in breakaway roping. Breyer Newman is 2^nd in goat tying and Jessica Stevens 3^rd.

Whitaker said his teams continually work on physical improvement. The Bobcats train twice a week in the D'Agostino Family Strength Training Center under the watchful eye of strength and conditioning coach Trey Stringer, and work out once a week in optional practices at the Stock Family MSU Rodeo Arena. "This is the time of year you can really improve physically," Whitaker said. "Once you get into the season there are so many events in such a short period that you don't see a lot of improvement. This is when we can focus on getting stronger and working on technique. Having full access to the practice facility since we purchased it is so important, and we need to use it to our full advantage."

While physical gains are important, Whitaker said the focus is most acute on the mental side. "I want them to get ahead on their academics because of all the travel once the season starts," he said. "We talked about that and about improving mentally in our goals meeting this semester. We reset our goals and we're trying to have the right frame of mind going into competition. College rodeo is the only time that rodeo is a team sport, so we need the attitude that every event is important because scoring points for the team is a goal. Everyone on the team has to have that competitive fire and the desire to win a championship, and if you start there you'll be the best you can be as an individual."

The Bobcat rodeo program's premiere fund-raising event, Cowboys & Candlelight, occurs February 24 (for information visit msurodeo.givesmart.com). That event also serves to flip the calendar from workout season to competition. "After Cowboys & Candlelight we start mandatory practices and that's when everyone needs to be dialed in." The Big Sky Region spring campaign begins on April 11-14 with the annual MSU Spring Rodeo.

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