#16 Men's Rodeo 6/9/2023 9:32:00 PM

Tiger Wranglers Ready For CNFR

CASPER, Wyo. – Seven Tiger Wranglers are set to begin competition in the 2023 College National Finals Rodeo that gets underway Sunday at the Ford Wyoming Center. The week-long event concludes with the Championship Round on Saturday, June 17.

"We are prepared and ready to compete on the biggest stage in college rodeo," UWA head coach Daniel Poole said. "It's the dream of every college rodeo athlete and coach. It's an honor to be representing UWA and the town of Livingston here in Casper."

Sunday's opening day matinee gets the competition underway with bareback riding, breakaway roping, saddle bronc riding and bull riding. Monday and Tuesday's slack gets underway at 6 a.m. CDT. Performances Tuesday through Friday commence at 6 p.m., with Saturday's Final also at 6 p.m.

The Top 12 qualified contestants in each event (top 12 teams in the team roping event) will compete in the CNFR Finals. Should the rodeo be lacking a qualified contestant in any event for the finals, the next highest ranked available contestant may take his/her place.

Livestream of the CNFR will be on the ESPN3 at 6 p.m. CDT Tuesday through Saturday night. ESPN3 is available by using the ESPN App. Download the ESPN App from the App Store or Google Play. ESPN3 is also available on your computer. To view ESPN3 on a computer: Go to ESPN.com, click on 'WATCH', scroll down to 'CHANNELS', Select ESPN3 and click on "College Rodeo".

Results can be accessed at http://collegerodeo.com/cnfr/. Ticket information is available at http://cnfr.com/. To purchase tickets online go to https://bit.ly/3CjDr1I.

The West Alabama women won the 2023 Ozark Region title, while the men were fourth. The UWA women finished fifth in the 2023 regular season circuit.

Heather McLaughlin, who comes to Casper fourth in the women's national all-around, will compete in breakaway roping and goat tying. She is currently the national and regional leader in goat tying and the Ozark Region all-around champion.

UWA barrel racers Jaylie Matthews and Taycie Matthews come to the CNFR seventh and ninth, respectively, in the nation in that event. They were first and second, respectively, in Ozark Region barrels.

Raven Clagg will compete in both breakaway roping and barrel racing. She is the current Ozark Region champion in breakaway roping and 24^th nationally. She was second in the Ozark Region all-around and 10^th in barrel racing.

JT Ellison will compete in steer wrestling, coming to the CNFR after winning the region in steer wrestling and seventh in the country after a fifth-place finish in the Ozark Region all-around.

Kota Wilhite finished third in the Ozark Region in tie down roping and will compete in that event at the CNFR. Chase Graves, ninth in the Ozark Region all-around, will compete for the Tigers in team roping, where he is the region's fourth-place heeler.

To follow the College National Finals Rodeo, click on www.cnfr.com.

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Players Mentioned

JT Ellison: Steer Wrestling, Tie Down Roping, Team Roping; 5' 10"; Graduate Student

Kota Wilhite: Junior

Raven Clagg: Barrel Racing, Breakaway Roping, & Goat Tying; 5' 0"; Graduate Student

Heather McLaughlin: Goat Tying and Breakaway Roping; 5' 5"; Senior

Jaylie Matthews: Barrel Racing; 5' 3"; Junior

Taycie Matthews: Barrel Racing; 5' 3"; Junior

Chase Graves: Graduate Student

Players Mentioned

JT Ellison
: 5' 10"; Graduate Student
: Steer Wrestling, Tie Down Roping, Team Roping

Kota Wilhite
: Junior

Raven Clagg
: 5' 0"; Graduate Student
: Barrel Racing, Breakaway Roping, & Goat Tying

Heather McLaughlin
: 5' 5"; Senior
: Goat Tying and Breakaway Roping

Jaylie Matthews
: 5' 3"; Junior
: Barrel Racing

Taycie Matthews
: 5' 3"; Junior
: Barrel Racing

Chase Graves
: Graduate Student