Friday, April 10
BOZEMAN
7:00 pm
Montana State University
vs
MSU Spring Rodeo #1 (Championship Go)
Bobcats Claim Seven of Nine Titles and Dominate MSU Spring Rodeo #1 on Friday
4/10/2026 11:26:00 PM | Men's Rodeo, Women's Rodeo
Montana State cruises to men's, women's team titles
BOZEMAN, Mont. (April 10, 2026) – As impressed as Montana State rodeo coach Kyle Whitaker was with his athletes, who won seven of the nine events and cruised to men's and women's team titles to wrap up Rodeo #1 of the MSU Spring Rodeo in Brick Breeden Fieldhouse on Friday, he was just as impressed with the crowd.
A sellout of 4,606 roared throughout Friday night's short go-round, fueling a dominant performance by Whitaker's Bobcats. "I rodeoed for a long time and you just don't have an atmosphere like this (anywhere else) because they're Bobcat fans," MSU's fifth-year head coach said. "If you're a Bobcat you instantly have 4,000 people cheering for you."
After UM Western's Coy Montgomery took top honors in the bareback riding to open the proceedings, seven of the next eight victory laps resembled a parade of Blue and Gold. Mitch Detton won the steer wrestling, Michaela McCormick took home the goat tying buckle, and after a respite in team roping MSU won the next five events.
Tahj Wells won saddle bronc, Haven Wolstein won breakaway roping, Ryley Mapston won tie down roping, Anneliese McCurry won barrel racing, and Wells grabbed the bull riding title. "That's one of the best bull ridings you'll see anywhere," Whitaker said. "It was a college rodeo, but it looked like a PBR."
Wells, a freshman, stood third in bull riding in the Big Sky Region after the four fall rodeos, but he closed that gap on Friday. He also moved up from his fifth place standing in the bareback riding entering the fall. "Tahj is amazing," Whitaker said. "He's stepping up in the bronc riding. He could be as good in bronc riding as he is in the bulls, but he loves bull riding."
As spectacularly as Montana State's men performed, winning four of those five events, the Bobcat women were perfect. "Our girls dominated," Whitaker said of MSU's clean sweep of the three women's event. He added that experience played a key factor in performing in the Fieldhouse's electric atmosphere.
"We have a lot of girls that have been here and they're so excited to be in the Brick," he said. "We talk about it all year. I wouldn't say they step their level up, but they're laser focused and that's what we hope to see. That's what we practice for. Sometimes people pressure up in a hometown situations and don't do as good, but we're using it to our advantage, getting the crowd on their feet and having a blast."
McCormick, a junior, said the two previous MSU Spring Rodeos for her and her horse Shelby in the Fieldhouse played to her favor. "It's so fun!" she said. "You block out any thoughts and just go because it's so loud in here. It's so electric in the Fieldhouse on Friday night. I love to rodeo in the Fieldhouse so being back here was a good way to start."
Wolstein savored the victory lap after her breakaway roping win. "I was like, 'You need to soak it in,'" she said. "The Brick is so awesome and MSU rodeo has so much support so it's a surreal feeling when you take a victory lap around the Brick."
Wells won the men's all-around title on Friday. Marshall, the region's all-around leader after four rodeos, claimed all-around honors in the fifth.
The Bobcats scored 950 points to second-place UM Western's 535 in the men's competition on Rodeo #1, while the women's team out-distanced UMW 760 to 175. Both MSU squads expanded their considerable Big Sky Region leads in the process.
MSU Spring Rodeo #2 begins with slack on Saturday morning, with Saturday night's sold-out performance beginning at 7 pm. The second rodeo concludes with Sunday's 1 pm championship go-round.
#GoCatsGo
A sellout of 4,606 roared throughout Friday night's short go-round, fueling a dominant performance by Whitaker's Bobcats. "I rodeoed for a long time and you just don't have an atmosphere like this (anywhere else) because they're Bobcat fans," MSU's fifth-year head coach said. "If you're a Bobcat you instantly have 4,000 people cheering for you."
After UM Western's Coy Montgomery took top honors in the bareback riding to open the proceedings, seven of the next eight victory laps resembled a parade of Blue and Gold. Mitch Detton won the steer wrestling, Michaela McCormick took home the goat tying buckle, and after a respite in team roping MSU won the next five events.
Tahj Wells won saddle bronc, Haven Wolstein won breakaway roping, Ryley Mapston won tie down roping, Anneliese McCurry won barrel racing, and Wells grabbed the bull riding title. "That's one of the best bull ridings you'll see anywhere," Whitaker said. "It was a college rodeo, but it looked like a PBR."
Wells, a freshman, stood third in bull riding in the Big Sky Region after the four fall rodeos, but he closed that gap on Friday. He also moved up from his fifth place standing in the bareback riding entering the fall. "Tahj is amazing," Whitaker said. "He's stepping up in the bronc riding. He could be as good in bronc riding as he is in the bulls, but he loves bull riding."
As spectacularly as Montana State's men performed, winning four of those five events, the Bobcat women were perfect. "Our girls dominated," Whitaker said of MSU's clean sweep of the three women's event. He added that experience played a key factor in performing in the Fieldhouse's electric atmosphere.
"We have a lot of girls that have been here and they're so excited to be in the Brick," he said. "We talk about it all year. I wouldn't say they step their level up, but they're laser focused and that's what we hope to see. That's what we practice for. Sometimes people pressure up in a hometown situations and don't do as good, but we're using it to our advantage, getting the crowd on their feet and having a blast."
McCormick, a junior, said the two previous MSU Spring Rodeos for her and her horse Shelby in the Fieldhouse played to her favor. "It's so fun!" she said. "You block out any thoughts and just go because it's so loud in here. It's so electric in the Fieldhouse on Friday night. I love to rodeo in the Fieldhouse so being back here was a good way to start."
Wolstein savored the victory lap after her breakaway roping win. "I was like, 'You need to soak it in,'" she said. "The Brick is so awesome and MSU rodeo has so much support so it's a surreal feeling when you take a victory lap around the Brick."
Wells won the men's all-around title on Friday. Marshall, the region's all-around leader after four rodeos, claimed all-around honors in the fifth.
The Bobcats scored 950 points to second-place UM Western's 535 in the men's competition on Rodeo #1, while the women's team out-distanced UMW 760 to 175. Both MSU squads expanded their considerable Big Sky Region leads in the process.
MSU Spring Rodeo #2 begins with slack on Saturday morning, with Saturday night's sold-out performance beginning at 7 pm. The second rodeo concludes with Sunday's 1 pm championship go-round.
#GoCatsGo
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Rodeo
/ Men's Rodeo
/ Women's Rodeo
/ Women's Rodeo
/ Men's Rodeo
/ Women's Rodeo
WBB - Montana State vs Portland - Behind the Mic
Friday, March 27
Spring Football Preview Press Conference
Friday, March 13
WBB - #2 Montana State vs #1 Idaho - Behind the Mic
Thursday, March 12
2026 Rodeo Teaser
Wednesday, March 11
