CSC cowboy wins tie down and steer wrestling at CSU rodeo

A junior from Newell, South Dakota, Novak won the first go-round of tie down roping in 9.9 seconds and was third in the championship go-round Sunday in 10.3 seconds. There were 60 tie down ropers at the rodeo.

Novak was sixth in the first go-round of steer wrestling in 8.2 seconds and third in the finals in 7.7 seconds. His combined time of 15.9 seconds was the fastest of the rodeo. The rodeo had 33 steer wrestlers.

Novak was the runner-up in the all-around cowboy standings to Riley Westlake, who earned points three events. Westlake is from O’Neill, Nebraska, and competes for Gillette College.

Cody Trump of Merriman, who finished fifth in saddle bronc riding, was the only Chadron State contestant other than Novak to place among the top six in the final standings of an event.

Three more CSC entries had one excellent mark, but didn’t get a score in the other go-round. They were Lane Day of Bartlett, Nebraska, who won the first go-round of steer wrestling in 4.9 seconds; Kellen Washut of Casper, Wyoming, who scored 76 points to lead the second go-round of bareback riding; and Ethan Lesiak of Clarks, Nebraska, who tied for third and fourth in the first go-round of bull riding with 78 points.

Also qualifying for the finals Sunday but not placing among the top six overall in their event were Colin Dibbern of Riverdale, Nebraska, in team roping, Jordan Tierney of Oral, South Dakota, who had a pair of 15.39-second runs in barrel racing, and Jessica Applegarth of Yuba City, Colorado, who had times of 8.0 and 7.5 seconds in goat tying.

The next rodeo in the Central Rocky Mountain Region will be April 21-23 at Casper College.