The K-State Rodeo Women’s Team finished eighth and the Men’s Team 16th for the year in the Central Plains Region of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, according to Coach Casy Winn
Women’s Team Captain Casey Adams, a senior, finished 10th in breakaway roping. Freshman Cheyenne Larson was 18th in barrel racing and 24th in breakaway.
Cara Jolly, a junior, placed 22nd in barrels, while freshman Kassidi Hofman was 30th in breakaway.
On the men’s team, junior Dixon Winn was 14th in bull riding. Freshmen Blake Toliver and Will Buchanan both made the short-go and earned points at the Panhandle State University rodeo to end the season. Team Captain Marty Shanks also competed for the men.
Coach Winn is optimistic for the future, with many young athletes on the roster and a promising new crop of recruits on the way.
Incoming freshman include Tanner Jackman, the Kansas High School Rodeo Association champion header in 2016, and Shad Winn, who was second in bull riding.
Talented timed event cowboy Corey Larson from Nebraska will be a freshman in the fall, as will two-event contestants Austin Paddock and Kayla Allen, both from California.
Transfers coming to K-State this fall include timed event cowboy Kyle Eike from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College (NEO), who was sixth in the region steer wrestling after missing the last three rodeos with an injury.
Erin Mantz, top point earner on the Fortt. Scott Community College women’s team this past season, will be coming to K-State to compete in barrel racing, goat tying and breakaway. Barrel racer Camrin Sellers also come from NEO to join the K-State team.
“I’m looking forward to combining good students and good athletes with good practice facilities and a commitment to rodeo excellence,” said Winn. “The result should be another step up for the program.”
Scholarships have been awarded members of the K-State Rodeo Club. They include:
Kinzie Alexander, sophomore in ag business; Will Buchanan, ag economics sophomore; Kyle Eike, ag business junior; Lauren Fedrick, junior in animal science junior; J.T. Gehling, animal production senior; Kassidi Hofman, feed science sophomore; Milan Hunter, animal-feed science junior; Tanner Jackman, ag business freshman; Cara Jolly, ag business senior;
Kalee Krier, ag economics senior; Cheyenne Larson, ag business sophomore; Corey Larson, freshman in ag economics freshman; Payton Manley, ag business junior; Erin Mantz, animal science junior; Reiny Ostrander, agronomy senior; Austin Paddock, agronomy freshman; Camrin Sellers, animal science sophomore; Blake Toliver, business sophomore; Dixon Winn, animal science senior; and Shad Winn, animal science freshman.
The students share a K-State rodeo program record $32,000 in scholarships, according to Emilie Fink, assistant director of development at the KSU Foundation.
Funding for the scholarships comes from the K-State Rodeo Club, K-State Rodeo Advisory Council, Wimer Family Foundation, Briggs-Manhattan, the Petrie family, the Fitzgerald family and the R.B. Warren family.
Those interested in helping build the rodeo scholarship fund can contact Fink at emilief@found.ksu.edu, or 785-532-7571.
The K-State Rodeo Team also received $13,105 in travel funds to attend college rodeo for the most recent school year.