Written by: Susan Kanode

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CASPER, Wyo. (June 12, 2016) — The 68^th annual College National Finals Rodeo got underway at the Casper Events Center on Sunday with the Bulls, Broncs and Breakaway performances.

All of the qualifiers in bull riding, breakaway roping, saddle bronc and bareback riding competed in the first of three rounds. Feather River College from Quincy, Calif., took command of the leaderboard earning the top two spots.

Clayton Biglow, a sophomore majoring in ag business got the round win with 80 points. Biglow is making his second appearance at the CNFR. The former high school rodeo champion is working his way up the ranks of rodeo with hopes and plans of competing at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. He leads the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association rookie standings and is 12^th in their world standings.

Biglow’s traveling partner and classmate Wyatt Denny finished with a 77.5-point ride to take second. Denny is also making his second appearance here, is a sophomore and is majoring in ag business. Not only are the two schoolmates that travel to rodeos together, they are also each other’s heros.

“Clayton Biglow is my hero.” Denny wrote on his bio sheet. “Even though we are the same height, I look up to him.”

Biglow also listed Denny as his hero, but only because he knows the best places to eat on the road. They will each compete two more times and could the friends could be in a fight for the championship here if they keep it up.

Brandi Hollenbeck from Garden City (Kan.) Community College nearly broke the arena record in breakaway roping on Sunday. She stopped the clock in 1.9 seconds, just one-tenth of a second off the record. She is a second-generation qualifier making her second appearance.

The bull riding winner came from Western Texas College at Snyder. Jacob Spencer scored 78.5 points. Clayton Brum from the College of Southern Idaho (Twin Falls) won the first round of saddle bronc riding with a76.5.

The first round in women’s barrel racing and goat tying as well as team roping, tie-down roping, and steer wrestling will be completed during slack Monday beginning at 7 a.m.

 

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CASPER, Wyo.—The following are results from Bulls Broncs and Breakaway at the College National Finals Rodeo, June 12, 2016, courtesy of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. Compete results are available at www.collegerodeo.com.

 

Breakaway Roping: (first round winners) 1, Brandi Hollenbeck, Garden City Community College, 1.9 seconds. 2, Samantha Jorgenson, Black Hills College, 2.2. 3, Haillie Taylor, Colorado  Mesa College, 2.3. 4, (tie) Coralee Spratt, Gillette College, and Kirbie Spratt, Missouri Valley College, 2.4 each. 6, Katie Rice, Cal Poly State University -San Luis Obispo, 2.5,. 7, (tie) Brittany Dias, California State University – Fresno and Kylee Mackelprang, Southern Utah University, 2.6 each.

 

Bareback Riding: (first round winners) 1, Clayton Biglow, Feather River College, 80 points. 2, Wyatt Denny, Feather River College, 77.5.. 3, Jake Sterno, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, 77. 4, Wyatt Bloom, Montana State University, 75.  5, (tie) Zach Hibler, Western Texas College and Kody Lamb, Tarleton State University, 74 each. 7, (tie) Cache Hill, University of Great Falls; Logan Patterson, Panhandle State University; and Jaden Clark, University of Wyoming, 73.5 each.

 

Saddle Bronc Riding: (first round winners) 1, Clayton Brum, College of Southern Idaho, 76.5. 2, Clay Elliott, Panhandle State University, 75. 3, Wyatt Casper, Clarendon College, 74.5. 4, Shade Etbauer, Panhandle State University, 73.5. 5, Blaise Freeman, Western Texas College, 72.5. 6, Tucker hill, Walla Walla Community College, 71.5. 7, Garet Aldridge, Sam Houston State University, 70.5. 8, Will Centoni, Questa College, 70.

 

Bull Riding: (first round winners) 1, Jacob Spencer, Western Texas College, 78.5 points. 2, Jake Smith, University of Wyoming, 77.5. 3, (tie) Tyler Lewis, Southern Arkansas University and Dakota Adams, Utah State University, 76. 5, Cole Melancon, Hill College, 75.5. 6, Brody Yeary, Tarleton State University, 73.5. 7, Jake Stemo, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, 70. 8, (tie) Connor Murnion, Miles City Community College, and Josh Frost, Panhandle State University, 68.