MSU-N womens rodeo clinches spot in College National Finals Rodeo in Wyoming

The regular season is finally over for the Montana State University-Northern rodeo teams. This past weekend, the MSU-N rodeo teams competed in a rodeo hosted by Miles Community College. The MSU-N men's team ended its season with a fifth-place finish in the rodeo.

But the MSU-N women's team had a strong showing to place second in the rodeo behind Montana State University. With the strong finish, the Skylights finish the season second in the Big Sky regional standings and they qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyoming, this June.

MiKenna Schauer earned the first Big Sky all-around champion in the history of the MSU-N program while also finishing the year as the Big Sky champion breakaway roper. In this last rodeo, Schauer finished first in the long go, the short round and the average for breakaway roping. She finished the weekend with an average of 4.2 in the event. She also placed 10th in the average for team roping.

For the MSU-N men's team, Garrett Cunningham finished the season as the Big Sky champion saddle bronc rider. In the rodeo in Miles City, he was fourth in saddle bronc riding with an average of 67.0 while taking second in the long go.

"They've both just been fun to watch," MSU-N head coach Doug Kallenberger said about Schauer and Cunningham. "They're both consistent and they just get it done."

Many other riders performed well in the final rodeo of the regular season. Kassidy Williamson took first in the long go for barrel racing and was fifth all around with an average of 14.19. She finished the season sixth in the standings for breakaway roping. Her teammate Jill Marcenko was 10th in the average for team roping.

On the MSU-N men's team, Lincoln Yarama took fifth in tie down roping and was eighth in the event with an average of 11.4. He finished season eighth in the standings for the tie down roping event.

At this weekend's rodeo, the MSU-N men's team scored 100 points to finish fifth. Montana Western took first with 760 points while MSU took second and Northwest College took third. The MSU-N women's team took second in Miles City with a score of 240 points. MSU came in first with 775 points and Western took third.

The MSU-N men's team finished the year fifth in the Big Sky with 1,957 total points while MSU finished first in the region. Behind MSU, the MSU-N women's team finished second in the standings with 2,646 total points to qualify for the CNFR. With the success they had this season, Kallenberger believes it stemmed from the support they all give each other.

"Every day in practice, they pushed each other, they helped each other and they picked each other up," Kallenberger said. "They were just a good group of kids and you couldn't ask for anything more as a coach."

Cunningham and Taylor Young will represent the MSU-N men's team in the CNFR while the MSU-N women's team will head to Casper. Cunningham will compete in saddle bronc riding while Young will compete in bareback riding. From the womens team, Schauer will compete in breakaway roping and goat tying, Williamson will compete in breakaway roping, Marcenko will compete in barrel racing and Brittney Cox will compete in barrel racing.

With the school year now over, the MSU-N riders will head home. Even though they will be away, they will continue to train and prepare for their opportunity on the big stage this summer.

"We're not going to take our foot off the gas pedal," Kallenberger said. "We're just going to stay focused and we're going to keep our eyes on the prize. We're going to keep practicing and keep grinding every day."