MILES CITY — The Montana State rodeo teams won three of the four team titles at Miles Community College over the weekend.
The Bobcat men and women swept the team titles at MCC Rodeo #1, which was Thursday and Friday. MSU's men rolled up 1,095 points and the women scored 600, season-high totals for both. MSU athletes won seven of the nine individual events.
MSU cowboys and cowgirls taking victory laps Friday night included those well-drilled in the activity and some fresh faces. Big Sky Region leader Tayla Moeykens won barrel racing for the fourth time in 2023-24, while Cole Gerhardt (bareback) and Bode Spring (tie-down roping) each won for the second time in the three spring rodeos. Jaden Whitman (steer wrestling), Meghan McGinley (breakaway roping) and Breyer Newman (goat tying) all logged wins, as well. MSU finished 1-2-3 in breakaway roping and 1-3-4-5-6 in steer wrestling.
Montana State’s men’s rodeo team then stormed to its fourth straight spring rodeo win, scoring 1,260 points at MCC Rodeo #2, which covered Saturday and Sunday. Montana Western edged the Bobcats 290-280 points for the women's team title.
MSU's Wes Shaw won the tie-down roping while Wyatt Jensen finished second and Spring fifth. Whitman won steer wrestling, while teammates Trav Johnson finished second, Gerhardt fourth, Logan Beattie fifth and Shaw sixth.
In the women’s competition, Clare Burcalow won the goat tying for MSU, while Jessica Stevens finished third and Jenae Whitaker sixth. Moeykens continued to dominate the barrel racing, with Ryen Shanahan finishing second, Shantell Brewer fifth and Macardi Anderson sixth.
Western's Tavy Leno won the women's all-around buckle to help push the Bulldogs to the first-place team finish. She took the top spot in breakaway roping and finished second in goat tying.
The Big Sky Region spring rodeo season concludes with the University of Montana's rodeo next weekend at the Ravalli County Fairgrounds in Hamilton.
(Editor's note: Portions of Montana State University and Montana Western news releases were used in this report.)
