Thursday, April 9
BOZEMAN
7:00 pm
Montana State University
vs
MSU Spring Rodeo #1 (Public Performance)
Tahj Wells
Photo by: Brian Morse
Bobcats Lead Six of Nine Events After First Performance of 2026 MSU Spring Rodeo
4/9/2026 11:11:00 PM | Men's Rodeo, Women's Rodeo
Jenae Whitaker's victory lap offers fifth-year head coach Kyle Whitaker a 'proud father moment'
BOZEMAN, Mont. (April 9, 2026) – Montana State University's Spring Rodeo is one of the school's longest-standing athletic traditions, but Thursday night it offered a one-of-a-kind moment for fifth-year head rodeo coach Kyle Whitaker.
"I've always wanted to get a victory lap here," he said of his daughter Jenae, who provided that thrill for both by taking top honors in goat tying of the first performance of Rodeo #1. "She almost won it her sophomore year, so it's cool that she got to do that (on Thursday). That was a good father moment."
Whitaker was soon joined by teammates Faith Marshall in breakaway roping and Anneliese McCurry in barrel racing to give Montana State leaders in all three women's events heading into Friday morning's slack.
"The girls team did really good," Whitaker said. "We won every event, so that was awesome. I'm pretty proud of them."
A Bobcat trio also stand atop the roughstock events. In his first appearance of the 2025-26 season after missing the fall with an injury, junior Cole Gerhardt marked a 77 to lead bareback riding. Freshman Cooper McNiven's 78 in saddle bronc was good for first place, while freshman Tahj Wells turned in a spectacular performance on the night's last ride, scoring an 83 in bull riding to lead that event.
"Tahj, he's something else," Kyle Whitaker said. "He's an amazing talent and he hasn't been on many broncs since last fall, so that was good. He got by that one, and yeah, he's an awesome bull rider. He's a lot of fun to watch. He's going to win a lot here. I'm proud of Cole, to come out with that ride in his first event was really solid. And Cooper did a great job."
McNiven said his first performance in Brick Breeden Fieldhouse didn't disappoint. "It was awesome, he said. "I set it up good, got a good mark-out, and then did what I knew I could do. During the eight seconds you don't hear nothing, but when (the ride is over) it's good to have a good crowd cheering you on."
Jenae Whitaker's experience, she said, helped lead to her standout performance. "I wasn't that nervous," she said. "I'm a senior so this is my fourth time. I've used my horse every year here and I knew exactly what I needed to do so I just knew to go out and did it.
Kyle Whitaker said a commitment to off-season work has been a boost. "She kind of changed things up and did a lot more yoga workouts and she said she feels a lot more flexible. And she's trusting herself and it's her last go-round, so she's got to give it all she's got."
Friday night's performance concludes Rodeo #1 of MSU's 2026 Spring Rodeo. The event begins at 7 pm and is available on The Spot-MTN and the Cowboy Channel app.
BAREBACK
1. Cole Gerhardt, MSU, 77
2. Coy Montgomery, UMW, 72
3. Jeremy Kay, UMW, 70
STEER WRESTLING
1. Cooper Pavkov, UMW, 4.9
2. Mitch Detton, MSU, 5.4
3. Weston LaPierre, MCC, 16.1
3. Peyton Haugen, MSU, 16.1
TEAM ROPING
1. Konnor Ward, UMW/Carson Daniels, UM; 9.3
2. Mckinlee Covolo/Farrah Gaskill, UMW; 10.4
3. Hailey Burger, MSU/Cassandra Gibson, MSUN; 16.9
SADDLE BRONC
1. Cooper McNiven, MSU, 78
2. Randon Boyce, UMW, 67
3. Tahj Wells, MSU, 63
BREAKAWAY ROPING
1. Faith Marshall, MSU, 2.5
2. Tynell McInenly, UMW, 2.7
3. Amelia Lancaster, MSU, 3.3
TIE-DOWN ROPING
1. Teagen Arnold, UMW, 11.5
2. Mitch Detton, MSU, 12.4
3. Jake Devereaux, UMW, 12.8
BARREL RACING
1. Anneliese McCurry, MSU, 13.34
2. Lexi Murer, UM, 13.60
3. Raegen Tayloer, MSU, 13.81
BULL RIDING
1. Tahj Wells, MSU, 83
2. Gavin Knutson, UMW, 78
3. Nash Loewen, MSU, 71
#GoCatsGo
"I've always wanted to get a victory lap here," he said of his daughter Jenae, who provided that thrill for both by taking top honors in goat tying of the first performance of Rodeo #1. "She almost won it her sophomore year, so it's cool that she got to do that (on Thursday). That was a good father moment."
Whitaker was soon joined by teammates Faith Marshall in breakaway roping and Anneliese McCurry in barrel racing to give Montana State leaders in all three women's events heading into Friday morning's slack.
"The girls team did really good," Whitaker said. "We won every event, so that was awesome. I'm pretty proud of them."
A Bobcat trio also stand atop the roughstock events. In his first appearance of the 2025-26 season after missing the fall with an injury, junior Cole Gerhardt marked a 77 to lead bareback riding. Freshman Cooper McNiven's 78 in saddle bronc was good for first place, while freshman Tahj Wells turned in a spectacular performance on the night's last ride, scoring an 83 in bull riding to lead that event.
"Tahj, he's something else," Kyle Whitaker said. "He's an amazing talent and he hasn't been on many broncs since last fall, so that was good. He got by that one, and yeah, he's an awesome bull rider. He's a lot of fun to watch. He's going to win a lot here. I'm proud of Cole, to come out with that ride in his first event was really solid. And Cooper did a great job."
McNiven said his first performance in Brick Breeden Fieldhouse didn't disappoint. "It was awesome, he said. "I set it up good, got a good mark-out, and then did what I knew I could do. During the eight seconds you don't hear nothing, but when (the ride is over) it's good to have a good crowd cheering you on."
Jenae Whitaker's experience, she said, helped lead to her standout performance. "I wasn't that nervous," she said. "I'm a senior so this is my fourth time. I've used my horse every year here and I knew exactly what I needed to do so I just knew to go out and did it.
Kyle Whitaker said a commitment to off-season work has been a boost. "She kind of changed things up and did a lot more yoga workouts and she said she feels a lot more flexible. And she's trusting herself and it's her last go-round, so she's got to give it all she's got."
Friday night's performance concludes Rodeo #1 of MSU's 2026 Spring Rodeo. The event begins at 7 pm and is available on The Spot-MTN and the Cowboy Channel app.
BAREBACK
1. Cole Gerhardt, MSU, 77
2. Coy Montgomery, UMW, 72
3. Jeremy Kay, UMW, 70
STEER WRESTLING
1. Cooper Pavkov, UMW, 4.9
2. Mitch Detton, MSU, 5.4
3. Weston LaPierre, MCC, 16.1
3. Peyton Haugen, MSU, 16.1
TEAM ROPING
1. Konnor Ward, UMW/Carson Daniels, UM; 9.3
2. Mckinlee Covolo/Farrah Gaskill, UMW; 10.4
3. Hailey Burger, MSU/Cassandra Gibson, MSUN; 16.9
SADDLE BRONC
1. Cooper McNiven, MSU, 78
2. Randon Boyce, UMW, 67
3. Tahj Wells, MSU, 63
BREAKAWAY ROPING
1. Faith Marshall, MSU, 2.5
2. Tynell McInenly, UMW, 2.7
3. Amelia Lancaster, MSU, 3.3
TIE-DOWN ROPING
1. Teagen Arnold, UMW, 11.5
2. Mitch Detton, MSU, 12.4
3. Jake Devereaux, UMW, 12.8
BARREL RACING
1. Anneliese McCurry, MSU, 13.34
2. Lexi Murer, UM, 13.60
3. Raegen Tayloer, MSU, 13.81
BULL RIDING
1. Tahj Wells, MSU, 83
2. Gavin Knutson, UMW, 78
3. Nash Loewen, MSU, 71
#GoCatsGo
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Rodeo
/ Men's Rodeo
/ Men's Rodeo
/ Men's Rodeo
/ Women's Rodeo
/ Men's Rodeo
/ Women's Rodeo
/ Women's Rodeo
/ Men's Rodeo
/ Men's Rodeo
/ Women's Rodeo
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