Sophomore Jake Shaw opened the CNFR with a 4.1-second takedown in steer wrestling, helping the Vikings surge into fourth place. (Dan Hubbell/NIRA) [Click to enlarge]

CASPER, Wyo. -- The Missouri Valley College men got well in a hurry during the second day of the College National Finals Rodeo at Casper, Wyo.

Even though five of their six entries competed on opening night, the Vikings were scoreless as a team.

However, the four cowboys who performed Monday all finished in the top eight in their go-rounds to move Valley into fourth place with 155 points, now in position to challenge Panhandle State (Okla.) -- the leader with 230 points -- as well as the two other teams ahead of it.

Freshman Will Smith of Lugoff, S.C., had the best first day for the Vikings -- tied for 10th in saddle bronc riding -- but posted the top second go in the field to take over the lead. Smith scored 78.5 points, giving him a two-day total of 151.5 -- four points in front of Montana State's Cort Scheer.

Junior Kirk Nelson followed Sunday's 65.0 with a 71.5, seventh best in the second go, and is now in fifth place overall at 136.5.

Only 15 of the 44 riders have completed two successful rides.

Senior bull rider Cooper Link was thrown from his mount on his first attempt, but had the fifth-best score with a 70 on Monday. That moves him into ninth place, at least temporarily.

There are 20 bull riders still awaiting their second go, but only six had successful rides the first time out -- three of them with scores better than Link's.

Only five of the 18 who have gone through two rides did so successfully.

Meanwhile, sophomore Jake Shaw -- who led the NIRA standings in steer wrestling coming in to the CNFR -- had a solid debut with a time of 4.1 seconds. That puts him into a tie for seventh place, Bryce Stoltenberg of Northeast Community College (Neb.) taking the early lead at 3.6 seconds.

Valley's two bareback riders, sophomores David Clapp and Kyle Brennecke, were off Monday and were scheduled for their second gos today. Clapp scored on the first day, but Brennecke didn't.

Nelson and Link will both finish up their preliminary rounds today and then wait while the rest of the contestants in their events complete theirs to determine whether those two Vikings make it into Saturday's championship performance.