CASPER, Wyo. (June 17, 2021)—Kellan and Carson Johnson of Casper roped the lead at the 72nd College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) Thursday. The brothers, who both attend Casper College, clocked a time of 7.6 seconds in the third round of team roping. Kellan, a junior psychology major, and Carson, a sophomore education major, had finished second in the first round with 6.1 and eighth in round two with a 7.0. Though their third-round time was their slowest of the week thus far, it was still fast enough to give them the overall lead by one-tenth of a second with a total time of 20.7 seconds.
Should the duo hold onto first place through Saturday night’s final round, Kellan would win his second CNFR team roping championship. He won the title in 2018 heading for Colorado cowboy Trey Yates.
The brothers also have proven themselves to be a formidable duo. Two years ago, while Carson was still in high school, they won gold medals and $50,000 each at the Days of ’47 Cowboy Games and Rodeo in Salt Lake City.
The Johnsons rodeo for their father Jhett, a former world champion team roper and five-time National Finals Rodeo (NFR) contestant, who is the head rodeo coach at Casper College.
Qualified rides have been rare this week in the bull riding. Tristen Hutchings of Blackfoot, Idaho, became only the second bull rider to ride two of three bulls this week. The Sul Ross State University junior rode Vold Rodeo’s Albert for 74 points which put him first in both the third round and the overall standings.
Macon Murphy of Keatchie, Louisiana, was the first tie-down roper to total less than 30 seconds total time after three rounds. The sophomore ranch and land management major from Panola College in Texas won the first round with 8.1, was 10th in round two and tied for fourth in round three with 9.7. The fastest times of the week came Thursday when Seth Peterson, a senior finance major at the University of Wyoming from Minot, North Dakota, stopped the clock in 7.7 seconds. Just two ropers later Zane Kilgus, a freshman ranch management major at Northeastern Oklahoma A & M College from Watsontown, Pennsylvania, matched his time. Both athletes missed in the second round so they will not be among the Top 12 who return to compete in the final round on Saturday.
Mountain States Match-Up: Johnson Brothers and Driggers and Petska Swap Partners
Third-round competition at the CNFR concludes Friday at 7 p.m. (MDT) at the Ford Wyoming Center. The performance will also be broadcast live on ESPN3.
The following are results after Thursday’s performance at the 72nd annual College National Finals Rodeo, June 17, 2021 courtesy of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. Complete results are available at www.collegerodeo.com.
Bareback Riding: (third round leaders) 1, Kolt Dement, Panola Junior College, 83 points on Vold Rodeo’s Storm Valley. 2, Nick Pelke, Missouri Valley College, 80.5. 3, Brody Smith, University of Montana Western, 79.5. 4, Jake Kesl, Gillette College, 76. 5, Dean Thompson, Western Texas College, 74. 6, Gauge McBride, Panola Junior College, 73. 7, Tim Murphy, Hill College, 72.5. 8, (tie) Tyler Smith, Treasure Valley Community College; Ty Pope, Missouri Valley College; and Chett Dietz, College of Southern Idaho, 72 points each. (overall leaders) 1. Dement. 239.5 points on three. 2, Pelke, 238.5. 3, Dean Thompson, Western Texas College, 234. 4, Waylon Bourge ois, McNeese State University, 231. 5, Brody Smith, 227. 6, McBride, 226.5. 7, Pope, 223.5. 8, Jade Taton, Panhandle State University, 222.5.
Tie-Down Roping: (third round leaders) 1, Seth Peterson, University of Wyoming, and Zane Kilgus, Northeast Oklahoma A & M, 7.7 seconds each. 3, Austin Madison, Mid Plains College, 9.1. 4, (tie) Garrett Elmore, Western Oklahoma State College, and Macon Murphy, Panola Junior College, 9.7. 6, Ladd King, Weber State University, 9.8. 7, Jase Staudt, University of Wyoming, 9.9. 8, Chasen Thrasher, University of Tennessee – Martin, 10.5. (overall leaders) 1, Murphy, 29.3 seconds on three. 2, King, 32.6. 3, Garrett Jacobs, Sul Ross State University, 33.8. 4, Levi Delamarter, Montana State University, 34.3. 5, Collin Palmer, Black Hills State University, 35.8. 6, Madison, 35.9. 7, Elmore, 37.4. 8, Connor Atkinson, Wharton County Community College, 38.2.
Breakaway Roping: (third round leaders) 1, Taylor Lawson, Southwest Texas Junior College, 1.6 seconds. 2, (tie) Morgan Foss, Dickinson State University, and Chloe Frey, McNeese State University, 2.1 seconds each. 4, Quincy Segelke, Chadron State College, 2.3. 5, (tie) Kaitlyn Harwell, New Mexico State University; Aubrey Lee, University of Arkansas – Monticello; and Abbie Shofner, New Mexico State University, 2.4 each. 8, Jill Donnelly, Cochise College, 2.6. (overall leaders) 1, Zoie Bedke, Idaho State University, 7.9 seconds on three. 2, Courtney Peters, Black Hills State University, 8.1. 3, (tie) Winter Williams, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, and Blair Bryant, Eastern Mississippi Community College, 9.5. 5, Brianna Williams, Chadron College, 12.6. 6, Lawson, 16.3. 7, Shofner, 16.7. 8, Jayce Blake, Treasure Valley Community College, 27.1.
Saddle Bronc Riding: (third round leaders) 1, Parker Fleet, Hill College, 80 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Big Syrup. 2, Karson Mebane, Cal Poly State University – San Luis Obispo, 78.5. 3, Brody Wells, Clarendon College, 74. 4, (tie) Dylan Schofield, Western Texas College, and Lachlan Sheppard, Western Texas College, 71.5. 6, Weston Patterson, Clarendon College, 70.5. 7, Timothy Troyer, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, 69.5. 8, Scott Lauaki, Utah State University Eastern, 69. (overall leaders) 1, Schofield, 225.5 points on three. 2, Patterson, 221.5. 3, Michael Womack, Panola Junior College, 204.5. 4, Russell Kay, College of Southern Idaho, 199. 5, Lauaki, 194. (on two) 6, Cole Franks, Clarendon College, 150. 7, Zane Munoz, Cochise College, 144.5. 8, Sean Mentaberry, College of Southern Idaho, 144.
Steer Wrestling: (third round leaders) 1, Ryan Nettle, Texas A & M University – Commerce, 3.8 seconds. 2, Bridger Anderson, Northwestern Oklahoma State University, 3.9. 3, (tie) Riley Westhaver, Northwestern Oklahoma State University, and Grant Peterson, Cal Poly State University – San Luis Obispo, 4.0 each. 5, Gavin Soileau, McNeese State University, 4.3. 6, Roy Lee, Missouri Valley College, 5.0. 7, Jesse Keysaer, University of Tennessee – Martin, 5.2. 8, (tie) Colton Struxness, South Dakota State University, and Gus Franzen, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, 5.4 each. (overall leaders) 1, Soileau, 15.0 on three. 2, Walt Arnold, Tarleton State University, 18.7. 3, Pacean DeLeeuw, Cisco College, 18.9. 4, Chadron Coffield, University of Wyoming, 23.7. 5, Peterson, 23.8. 6, Bryce Harrison, University of Montana Western, 24.6. 7, Keyser, 26.5. 8, Trisyn Kalawai’a, Central Arizona College, 29.1.
Goat Tying: (third round leaders) 1, Paige Rasmussen, Montana State University, 6.3 seconds. 2, Lindsey Pulsipher, Montana State University, 6.4. 3, Kamryn Duncan, McNeese State University, 6.7. 4, (tie) Jill Donnelly, Cochise College; Tori Jacobs, South Dakota State University; and Ricky Engesser, Tarleton State University; 6.8. 7, Mayce Marek, Wharton County Junior College, 6.9. 8, (tie) Aimee Davis, Cuesta College, and Kodey Hoss, Weatherford College, 7.1. (overall leaders) 1, Rasmussen, 18.9 seconds on three. 2, Marek, 19.7. 3, Donnelly, 19.9. 4, Engesser, 20.0. 5, Madelyn Schauer, Eastern New Mexico State University, 20.2. 6, Hoss, 20.3. 7, (tie) Sheyenne Anderson, Missouri Valley College, and Duncan, 20.4 each.
Team Roping: (third round leaders) 1, Cobie Dodds, West Hills College and Cody Stewart, Feather River College, 6.3 seconds. 2, Jaret Whitman and Teegan Leno, Montana State University, 6.4. 3, Will Eddleman, Cisco College, and Garrett Jacobs, Sul Ross University, 6.5. 4, Kellan and Carson Johnson, Casper College, 7.6. 5, Sherrick Sanborn, Cochise College, and Dylan Hill, Mesa Community College, 7.7. 6, JC and LJ Yeahquo, Western Oklahoma State College, 8.0. 7, Garrett Elmore, and Jessen James, Western Oklahoma State College, 10.0. 8, Stran Morris, Western Oklahoma State College, and Kolton White, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, 10.2. (overall leaders) 1, Johnson and Johnson, 20.7. 2, Yeahquo and Yeahquo, 20.8. 3, Wyatt Murray, and Whitt Crozier, Panhandle State University, 29.1. 4, Jon Peterson and Tray Smith, Gillette College, 29.8. 5, Eddleman and Garrett, 32.4. 6, Morris and White, 37.2. 7, John Gaona and Trey Nowlin, Central Arizona State College, 54.2. 8, Bodie Mattson Gillette College and Cody Lansing, Casper College, 12.0 on two(on two) Ethan Griffin, Oklahoma State University and Blayne Horne, Western Oklahoma State College, 13.0. 6, Whitman and Leno, 17.8.
Barrel Racing: (third round leaders) 1, Bradi Good, Weatherford College, 14.11 seconds. 2, Abby Hepper, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, 14.15. 3, Taylor Hanson, Black Hills State University, 14.17. 4, Jaylie Matthews, East Mississippi Community College, 14.20. 5, Shai McDonald, Montana State University, 14.26. 6, Jacqueline Nichols, Central Arizona College 14.34, 7 (tie) Payton Schoeppach, Cuesta College, Emilee Pauley, 14.3814(overall leaders) 1, Jaylie Matthews, East Mississippi Community College, 42.70. 2, Hepper, 42.92. 3,Shai McDonald 43.08. 4, Karson Bradley, 43.28. 5, Bradi Good, Weatherford College, 43.51. 6, Tea Recanzone, Boise State University, 43.65.
Bull Riding: (third round leaders – two rides) 1, Tristen Hutchings, Sul Ross State University, 74 on Vold’s “Albert”. 2, Mason Ward, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, 73.5. 3, Austin Herrera, Northwest College, 72. 4, Koby Jacobson, Mid Plains Community College, 68.5 (overall leaders – on two) 1, Tristen Hutchings, 151.5. 2, Holden Moss, Three Rivers College, 147. 3, Cole Skender, 84.5. (on one) 4, Cullen Teller, Tarleton State University, 78. 5, Kolten Achenbach, 76. (Tie) 6, Mason Ward, TJ Schmidt, 73.5.
Men’s All-Around: 1, Cole Franks, Clarendon College, 190 points. 2, Roy Lee, Missouri Valley College, 130 3, Garrett Elmore, Western Oklahoma State College, 120. 4, Ty Pope, Missouri Valley College, 98.33.
Women’s All-Around: (one qualified) 1, Jill Donnelly, Cochise College, 70 points. (Taylor Lawson is no longer placing in two events.)
Men’s Team: 1, Clarendon College, 500 points. 2, Casper College, 450. 3, (tie) Western Oklahoma State College, and Western Texas College, 440.
Women’s Team: 1, Montana State University, 355 points. 2, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, 275. 3, Dickinson State University, 188.33. 4, McNeese State University, 165.
