The Rodeo News
f t p i g The Rodeo News
  • Home
  • Articles
    • 5 Star Champion
    • American Hat
    • AQHA
    • 6 Over 60
    • Momma’s Message
    • Back When They Bucked
    • On The Trail
    • Profiles
    • Rodeo News Today
    • Special Features
      • Roper Review
      • JR Vezain
  • Associations
  • Classifieds
    • Place a Classified Ad
    • My Classifieds
  • Subscribe
    • Subscribe
    • Change of Address
    • Newsletter Signup
  • Newsletters
  • Photos
  • Partners
  • Contact
    • About Rodeo News
    • Meet the Team
    • Meet The Freelancers
    • Advertiser Interests

NEBRASKA YOUTH QUALIFY FOR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL RODEO COMPETITION

Makayla Wray, Ord, won the pole bending title for the 2021-2022 season; she is also the breakaway roping champion. Photo by Jill Saults.  

Written by: Ruth Nicolaus

< Back to Articles

Champions crowned in each event

 

HASTINGS, NEB. (June 12, 2022) – The Nebraska High School Rodeo season wrapped up today with the high school finals in Hastings at the Adams County Fairgrounds. Rodeo athletes from across the Cornhusker State competed in two go-rounds on June 10-11 and the short go-round on June 12. The top four contestants in each of fifteen events were determined, and they will go on to compete at the National High School Finals Rodeo (NHSFR) in Gillette, Wyoming July 17-23, 2022.

 

The 2021-2022 champions are Spencer Denaeyer, Mullen (bareback riding); Makayla Wray, Ord (pole bending and breakaway roping); Coy Johnston, Stapleton (steer wrestling); Monte Bailey, Seneca (saddle bronc riding); Sid Miller, Merna (tie-down roping); Libby Hegeman, Arlington (goat tying); Brent Charlton, North Platte and Jate Saults, Big Springs (team roping, header and heeler); Anna Clark, Thedford (barrel racing); Cooper Kursave, Arcadia (bull riding); Tatum Olson, Bloomfield (reined cow horse); Bo Bushhousen, St. Libory (boys cutting); Whitney Jennings, Seneca (girls cutting); Cale Buss, Atkinson (light rifle) and Tanner Ellis, Minden (trap shooting ).

 

Boys rookie of the year went to Koltdyn Heath, Minden, and girls rookie of the year is Reagan McIntyre, Grand Island. McIntyre also won the girls’ all-around title; for the second year, Cooper Bass, Brewster, is the year-end boys all-around champion.

 

Kylie Lancaster, Hastings, was crowned as the 2022-2023 Miss Nebraska High School Rodeo queen.

 

The following are synopses of some of the champions.

 

Pole Bending and Breakaway champion: Makayla Wray, Ord

Makayla Wray came into her junior year of state finals in second and third place in her three events, and left a state champion in two of them.

 

The seventeen-year-old cowgirl, a soon-to-be senior at Ord High School this fall, called her three days at state finals, “amazing.” She was cheering for her friend Gracey Taylor in the poles, but when Gracey knocked over a pole to get a five-second penalty in the short round, it opened the door for Wray.

 

“My heart broke for her, but I thought, ‘there’s a chance (for Wray to win the year-end title.) Then I went and knocked down a pole.” But there was no time for reflection; she had to compete in the breakaway roping next. “You have to have a short memory in rodeo,” she said.

 

The daughter of Mark and Denise Wray, Makayla will be vice-president of her school’s FFA chapter this fall, is a member of the National Honor Society, was just elected student president of the Nebraska State High School Rodeo Association, and plays basketball. She has a 4.0 GPA.

 

She has also qualified for the NHSFR in the team roping; this is her first trip to Nationals.

 

Bareback riding champion – Spencer Denaeyer, Seneca

For the second year in a row, Spencer Denaeyer took home the state saddle bronc riding title.

 

The eighteen-year-old, a 2022 graduate of Mullen High School, didn’t do well at the 2021 NHSFR.

 

“Last year, I went in hot-headed, thinking I was the state champ, I was going to (Nationals), and things were going to be all right.” He didn’t make the short go at the Nationals; his goals are higher this year. “I need to have my hammer cocked, and be ready to go. My goal is to win it.”

 

He will attend Odessa (Texas) College this fall on a rodeo scholarship and compete collegiately, majoring in ag technology.

 

He is the son of Mark and Bree Bailey.

 

Steer wrestling champion – Coy Johnston, Stapleton

Coy Johnston comes from a long line of steer wrestlers, and now he’s won his first state title.

 

The Stapleton cowboy finished last year’s season in second place, behind his good friend and fellow steer wrestler Dane Pokorny; the two cowboys switched spots this year, with Pokorny finishing as reserve champion.

 

For Sunday’s short round, he gave it his all. “I had to make a good run today,” he said. “I just went out there, not safetying up or anything, and beat Dane by a half-point.” There’s no animosity between the two; “we are really good friends,” Johnston said.

 

Johnston’s dad Jason was a steer wrestler, as were his uncles, Jeff, Chad and Joel. “If you’re a Johnston,” he joked, “you’re going to be a steer wrestler.”

 

This fall, Johnston will be a senior at Stapleton High School. He plays football and basketball and is an FFA member.

 

He is the son of Jason and Jennifer Johnston.

 

Saddle bronc riding champion: Monte Bailey, Hyannis

Hyannis cowboy Monte Bailey won the saddle bronc riding title.

 

The 2022 Hyannis High School graduate was the only cowboy who made three qualified rides.

 

He is coming off a knee injury from the football season, where he tore the meniscus and nearly pulled the ligaments off the bone.

 

“I hurt my knee a while back, so it was a little iffy on my first horse,” he said. “But I just let it all fly and left it out there, and it was pretty fun.” His third ride, in the short round, “wasn’t the prettiest one, but I got through it.”

 

He will compete for Montana State University in Bozeman this fall on a rodeo scholarship while he attends Gallatin College, majoring in carpentry.

 

He is the son of Ben and Shelly Bailey.

 

Team roping champions – Brent Charlton, North Platte (header) and Jate Saults, Big Springs (heeler)

 

Brent Charlton and Jate Saults teamed up for their first state title in the team roping.

 

The duo has roped together the past three years; Charlton just finished his junior year at Stapleton High School; Saults is a 2022 graduate of South Platte High School.

 

Both cowboys also competed in the tie-down roping, and Saults in the light rifle shooting.

 

This fall, Saults will attend Western Oklahoma State University in Altus on a rodeo scholarship, majoring in ag business. He is the son of Scott and Jill Saults. He has also qualified for Nationals in the light rifle.

 

Charlton, at Stapleton High School, plays basketball and is on the honor roll. He is the son of Philip and Sonya Charlton.

 

Barrel racing champion – Anna Clark, Thedford

Anna Clark is just a freshman, but she finished her first year of high school rodeo with a bang.

 

The fifteen-year-old cowgirl from Thedford won the barrel racing state title.

 

In the first round, she hit a barrel, adding a five-second penalty to her time. “I came into the arena, and we were going pretty fast, and I remember thinking, oh, no, we’re going to blow by this barrel. So I checked (her mare) up and I shouldn’t have.” They knocked over the first barrel.

 

But she redeemed herself, winning the second and third rounds “and today we became state champions,” she said, beaming.

 

“I wanted this all season, and I’ve worked for it a lot,” she said. “It feels good. It feels really good.”

 

She is the daughter of Adam and Alicia Clark.

 

For complete results, visit http://www.hsrodeo-nebraska.com/results. For more information on the state finals and the NHSFR, www.hsrodeo-nebraska.com and www.nhsra.com.

 

###

 

Nebraska High School Qualifiers for the 2022 National High School Finals Rodeo in Gillette, Wyoming July 17-23.

 

Bareback riding

Champion: Spencer Denayer, Seneca

2. Tate Miller, Springview

3. Koltdyn Heath, Minden

4. Tanner Drueke, Sutherland

Alternate: Cinch Kiger, Overton

 

Barrel racing

Champion: Anna Clark, Thedford

2. Hailey Witte, Crookston

3. Taci Flinn, Arcadia

4. Camryn Kocian, Brainard

Alternate: Mekenna Fisher, Hershey

 

Boys cutting:

Champion: Bo Bushhousen, St. Libory

2. Cooper Bass, Brewster

3. Trey Vance, Inavale

4. Devin Konicek, Burwell

Alternate: Dakota Storer, Arthur

 

Breakaway roping

Champion: Makayla Wray, Ord

2. Reagan McIntyre, Grand Island

3. Whitney Jennings, Seneca

4. Shayda Vaughn, Hershey

Alternate: Kieley Walz, Ainsworth

 

Bull riding:

Champion:. Cooper Kursave, Arcadia

2. Hunter Boydston, Grover, Colo.

3. Jason Ducker-Kursave, Arcadia

4. Tanner Drueke, Sutherland

Alternate: Brady Painter, Ainsworth

 

Girls cutting:

Champion: Whitney Jennings, Seneca

2. Mekenna Fisher, Hershey

3. Brooke Forre, Newman Grove

4. Emma Pearson, Broken Bow

Alternate: Peyton Fisher, Hershey  

 

Goat tying:

Champion:. Libby Hegeman, Arlington

2. Reagan McIntyre, Grand Island

3. Ashlyn Henderson, Hyannis

4. Emma Warren, Thedford

Alternate: Laney Hoier, Herman

 

Pole bending

Champion: Makayla Wray, Ord

2. Gracey Taylor, Valentine

3. Reagan McIntyre, Grand Island

4. Raina Swanson, Genoa

Alternate: Emma Pearson, Broken Bow

 

Reined cow horse

Champion: Tatum Olson, Bloomfield

2. Charlie Bortner, McCook

3. Tucker Gillespie, McCook

4. Tate Talkington, Scottsbluff

Alternate: Jayda Meyring, Alliance

 

Saddle bronc riding

Champion: Monte Bailey, Lakeside

2. Leif Meidell, Harrison

3. Augustus Painter, Ainsworth

4. Carson Jones, Neligh

Alternate: Everett Blackburn, Bartlett

 

Steer wrestling

Champion: Coy Johnston, Stapleton

2. Dane Pokorny, Stapleton

3. Wyatt Reichenberg, Harrisburg

4. Taydon Gorsuch, Gering

Alternate: Beau Wiebelhaus, Springview

 

Team roping

Champions: Brent Charlton, North Platte, and Jate Saults, Big Springs

2. Cooper Bass, Brewster and Zack Bradley, Brewster

3. Makayla Wray, Ord and Brady Renner, Ericson

4. Carter Anderson, Merriman and Sage Schrunk, Valentine

 

Tie-down roping

Champion: Sid Miller, Merna

2. Jate Saults, Big Springs

3. Cooper Phillips, Burwell

4. Carter Anderson, Merriman

Alternate: Seth Glass, Central City

 

All results unofficial.

 

 

Merna’s Sid Miller is the 2021-2022 Nebraska State High School tie-down roping champion. Photo by Jill Saults. 

 

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Posted on: June 13, 2022

Related Posts

J.B. Mauney extends world lead

Mauney wins Round 1 with 91-point ride   LAS VEGAS – In front of more than 10,000 fans at the Thomas & Mack Center on […]

October 22, 2015

National Western Stock Show Rodeo gets off to a rousing start

DENVER, Colo. (Jan. 6, 2017) — Opening day of the National Western Stock Show has featured three action-packed rodeo performances that have had fans on […]

January 07, 2018

PRCA announces 2020 award nominees

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – It’s common for rodeo athletes and fans to use the hashtags “grateful” or “blessed.” Each year, that gratefulness is expressed at […]

October 13, 2020

Rodeo News

1612 Laporte Ave. Suite #2

Fort Collins, CO 80521

United States

Phone: 970-419-4747

More Info

  • Add An Event
  • Advertiser Interests
  • Place a Classified
  • Vendor Login
  • Submit an Association
  • Terms
  • Newsletter Signup

© Copyright 2023 Rodeo News | All Rights Reserved

TERMS:
Rodeo Newstm (ISSN 1934-5224) is published 12 times a year, semi-monthly May-Nov; once in Dec Jan, Feb., March, and April by Publication Printers, 2001 S. Platte River Drive, Denver, Colo., 80223. Iris Ink, Inc., parent company of Rodeo News is located at 3604 WCR 54G, Laporte, Colo., 80535. Subscriptions are $30 per year. Periodicals postage paid at LaPorte, Colo., and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Rodeo News, 1612 Laporte Ave. Suite #2, Fort Collins, CO 80521

Canada Post (CPC) publication #40798037. Material in this publication may not be reproduced in any form without permission. Rodeo News carries advertising and editorials as a service to the readers. However, publication of advertisements and editorials in Rodeo News does not commit Rodeo News to agree with or guarantee any of the merchandise or livestock advertised.