RICHLAND CENTER — Platteville’s Garret Heer and roping partner Nicholas Pelke of Mondovi punched their tickets to the National High School Finals Rodeo with a third-place finish in the team roping event at the 57th annual Wisconsin High School Rodeo State finals two weekends ago at the Richland County Fairgrounds June 17–19.
The the rain-plagued three-day state finals culminated the year-long competition that began last fall. Contestants competed in 15 events at the state finals with the top four in each event qualifying for the NHSFR, that will be held July 17–23 in Gillette, Wyo.
Heer and Pelke finished third in the season-long team roping competition behind Garrett Sommer (Stetsonville, Minn.) and Cory Ward (Mabel, Minn.), and Morgan Chappell of Boscobel and Sam Martin of Zwingle, Iowa. This will be Heer’s first trip to the national finals.
Out-of-state contestants carried away the top honors at the state finals. Martin, a senior from Zwingle, Iowa, earned All-Around Cowboy honors and Emma Snow, a senior from La Crescent, Minn., topped the All-Around Cowgirl competition. Kelsey Hallin, a sophomore from Cary, Ill., was named the Wisconsin High School Rodeo Queen.
Martin, who won the saddle bronc competition and placed in other events, amassed 870.5 points to outdistance Layton Laffin, who had 769.33. Laffin, a senior from Wausau, became the Reserve All-Around Cowboy for the second year in a row.
Snow won the pole bending competition and totaled 939 points. She edged out Jessie Schreiner, a junior from Antigo, who had 661. Schreiner, who was the defending All-Around Cowgirl, became the 2016 Reserve All-Around.
Hallin was chosen the Rodeo Queen from three candidates who were seeking to succeed Rylee Dressler of Dodgeville.
Other area contestants who earned berths on the Wisconsin Team going to the Nationals included Sarah Keller of Boscobel and Richland Center High School; Kolten Achenbach of Richland Center; Colton Clary and Stetson Clary of Lone Rock, who attend Ithaca High School; Valerie Laue of Richland Center, who attends Ithaca High School, Callie Quale of Lancaster; Tanner Bassett of Boscobel; and Bridgette Myers of Bagley.
57th Annual Wisconsin High School State Finals Rodeo
(from June 17–19 @ Richland Center)
Event results:
Small Bore Rifle Shooting: 1. Sarah Keller, Boscobel, 2. Matthew Boettcher, Custer, 3. Callie Quale, Lancaster, 4. Reece Fernholz, Arcadia, 5. Kyler Buros, Viroqua.
Trap Shooting: 1. Naomi Volkmann, Rhinelander, 2. Reece Fernholz, Arcadia, 3. Mason Gukenberger, Marshfield, 4. Megan Rowe, West Salem.
Bareback Bronc Riding: 1. Colton Clary, Lone Rock, 2. Stetson Clary, Lone Rock, 3. Jasper Dunn, Whitehall.
Breakaway Calf Roping: 1. Ally Bushendorf, Eau Claire, 2. Brittney Stein, Cassville, 3. Morgan Chappell, Boscobel, 4. Kirsten Pape, 5. Rylee Dressler, Dodgeville.
Tie Down Roping: 1. Garrett Sommer, Stetsonville, 2. Layton Laffin, Wausau, 3. Cody Ward, Mabel, MN, 4. Matthew Boettcher, Custer, 5. Sam Martin, Zwingle, IA.
Goat Tying: 1. Bridgette Myers, Bagley, 2. Jessie Schreiner, Antigo, 3. JayCee Bush, Black River Falls, 4. Nora Hestetune, Cashton, 5. Cassandra Chism, Merrill.
Saddle Bronc Riding: 1. Sam Martin, Zwingle, IA, 2. Tanner Bassett, Boscobel; 3. Jasper Dunn, Whitehall.
Pole Bending: 1. Emma Snow, La Crescent, MN, 2. Bridgette Myers, Bagley, 3. Callie Qualle, Lancaster, 4. Tie, Allison Burgau, Black River Falls and Jessica Newlun, La Farge.
Team Roping: 1. Garrett Sommer, Stetsonville and Cody Ward, Mabel, MN, 2. Morgan Chappell, Boscobel, and Sam Martin, Zwingle, IA, 3. Garret Heer, Platteville, and Nicholas Pelke, Mondovi, 4. Tie, Cassandra Chism, Merrill, Jessie Schreiner, Antigo, Mason Gukenberger, Marshfield, and Matthew Boettcher, Custer.
Girls Cutting: 1. Klarissa Neff, Gratiot, 2. Jessie Schreiner, Antigo, 3. Tie, Valerie Laue, Richland Center, and Rylee Dressler, Dodgeville, 5. Tie, Grace Neff, Gratiot, and Kirsten Pape.
Boys Cutting: 1. Tie, Mason Gukenberger, Marshfield, and Mathew Schultz, Oconomowoc, 3. Layton Laffin, Wausau, 4. Sam Martin, Zwingle, IA.
Steer Wrestling: 1. Layton Laffin, Wausau, 2. Dalton Mikkelson, Viroqua, 3. Tanner Bassett, Boscobel, 4. Tie, Austin Bown, Arcadia, and Matthew Boettcher, Custer.
Bull Riding: 1. Austin Poeschel, Mondovi, 2. Dillon Larson, Mondovi, 3. Kolten Achenbach, Richland Center, 4. Nick Pelke, Mondovi, 5. Tie, Colton Clary, Lone Rock, and Cole Johnson, Belmont.
Barrel Racing: 1. Jessica Newlun, La Farge, 2. Emma Snow, La Crescent, MN, 3. Morgan Chappell, Boscobel, 4. Morgan Rud, Mondovi, 5. Ally Bushendorf, Eau Claire.
Reined Cow Horse: 1. Matthew Schultz, Oconomowoc, 2. Kirsten Pape, 3. Emma Snow, La Crescent, MN, 4. Sam Martin, Zwingle, IA, 5. Mason Gukenberger, Marshfield.
