Chadron State rodeo entries start spring season with a bang

Novak won the tie down roping and Van Aken was the runner-up.  In the team roping, Van Aken was header on the winning entry and Novak was the heeler on the second place entry. Novak tallied 310 points and Van Aken 300 in the all-around standings.

Several other Chadron State cowboys, including bareback winner John Kissack, also placed high in their events, helping the men’s team score a whopping 815 points to win the championship by more than 400 points. For the season, the CSC men have 3,095 points, some 887.5 points more than the runner-up team.

While the Chadron State cowgirls did not rank as high in the team standings at the EWC rodeo, Brandi Cwach was the goat tying winner and two other Chadron State women also placed high.

“It was a phenomenal rodeo for us,” said CSC coach Dustin Luper. “A lot of our contestants did a great job. We’ve worked hard during the winter in the Coffee Pavilion and it seems to have paid off.”

Following is a synopsis of Chadron State’s placing in the various events:

Tie down roping: Novak, a sophomore from Newell, South Dakota, was second in the first go-round in 9.3 seconds and Van Aken, a graduate student from Descanso, California, was third in 10.5 seconds. Both caught and tied their second calves in 10 seconds flat to share the top spot in that go-round. Also, CSC freshman Lathan Lauing of Oral, South Dakota, completed his runs in 11.9 and 12.6 seconds to finish fourth overall.

Team roping: Van Aken and Trey Yates of the University of Wyoming tied for third in the first go-round in 6.4 seconds and won the second go-round in 5.9 seconds to edge Novak and Colby Hetzel of Sheridan College for first place. The latter pair had times of 6.3 and 6.5 seconds to win the first go-round, take second in the next go-round and finish second overall.

Bareback riding: Kissack, a junior from Gillette, Wyoming, was third in the first go-round with 67 points, second in the second-round with 64 points and was first overall. In addition, Nate McFadden of Elsmere, Nebraska, had the high score of rodeo while winning the second go-round with 73 points. McFadden did not have a score in the first go-round, but was sixth in the averages.

Steer wrestling: Freshman Devin Dibbern of Riverdale, Nebraska, finished third overall with times of 6.1 and 6.9 seconds. He shared fourth in the opening go-round and also was fourth on his second run.

Bull riding: Sophomore Chasen Cole of Hermosa, South Dakota, won the first go-round with 81 points. He was bucked off in the finals, but placed second overall.

Goat tying: Cwach, a sophomore from of Geddes, South Dakota, was the champion after winning both go-rounds in 7.0 and 7.1 seconds. Graduate student Shelby Winchell of Scottsbluff had times of 7.6 and 7.3 seconds to place third in the averages. She was third in the first go-round and tied for second on her second run.

Breakaway roping: Freshman Elsie Fortune of Interior, South Dakota, had runs of 3.2 and 3.4 seconds to finish fourth in breakaway roping.

The next rodeo in the Central Rocky Mountain Region will be March 18-20 at Gillette College.