NWC Team pads lead heading into season’s final rodeo

The Northwest College women’s rodeo team placed second over the weekend at the Dawson Community College rodeo, tightening their grip on second place and an automatic qualifying spot to the College National Finals Rodeo. In the process, they added more than 100 points onto their lead over the University of Montana, Western.

“The gals are hitting on all cylinders right now,” said Trapper rodeo coach Del Nose. “Montana State was dominant as usual, but we had 285 points and finished second. The women did way good and gave us a chance to go into that last rodeo with a good margin.”

Rodeo’s regular season wraps up this weekend with Northwest College heading to the University of Montana. The Trappers are currently second in the Big Sky region and carry a lead of more than 450 points over their nearest pursuer, placing them on the cusp of history.

“To the best of my knowledge, we’ve never had a women’s team qualify for the CNFR,” said Nose. “I’ve been here 12 years and I’m not aware of it happening. The men’s team has gone twice, but never the women’s team. As long as we don’t fall on our face and Western doesn’t have just a super rodeo this weekend, we should be in good shape.”

Should they reach the CNFR, history would show that Trapper teams have met with success in Casper. The prior men’s teams to advance that far for Northwest College have placed fifth and sixth nationally.

“These girls could do it,” Nose said to that sort of finish. “They have that much talent. It really has been a fun group to coach.”

For the second consecutive week, the Trapper women produced the all-around champion for the rodeo. Jessica Ehlers earned the title by more than 100 points in Glendive, Mont.

Ehlers teamed up with Zackerie Hamel to place fifth in the team roping competition. She added a fifth place go in breakaway roping.

Kaela Murphy added a runner-up finish in team roping alongside heeler Zachary Schweigert. Steffani Hofrichter and Heather Knerr produced a 4-6 finish in goat tying for the Trappers.

On the men’s side, the Trappers placed fourth out of seven teams.

Clinton Griffis and Tyler Owens each finished second, with Griffis taking the honors in the bareback while Owens’ runner-up finish occurred in bull riding.

Newt Novich added a sixth-place finish in steer wrestling.

In the overall season standings, the Trappers remain in fifth place on the men’s side, isolated by more than 500 points in both directions from their nearest competition.

While the final week of the rodeo season won’t hold much team drama for the Trapper men, certain individuals will compete with plenty on the line.

Griffis, for instance, currently sits in fourth place in the bareback standings, just 19 points out of third and the automatic CNFR appearance that goes to the top three in each event at season’s end.

Thanks to another runner-up finish, Owens looks secure as the No. 2 man in the Big Sky Region’s bullriding standings, but Timothy Stevenson needs to overcome a 67-point gap that has him in fifth position at present. Newt Novich is currently third in steer wrestling, but with only a 52-point lead, he will have to defend his position in Missoula this weekend.

“Owens is in for sure,” Nose said. “Newt has a lead, so we’ll see what happens there, but Clinton needs to have a good rodeo. He has to be playing offense and coming right at them this weekend.”