Marshall Democrat-News: College Sports: Two Vikings make CNFR finals (06/23/09)

Although he posted the best single steer wrestling performance of the CNFR, Valley junior Jake Shaw wound up in 11th place after a no-score in the finals.
(Dan Hubbell/CNFR)

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CASPER, Wyo. -- Two Missouri Valley College cowboys reached the championship round of the College National Finals Rodeo at Casper, Wyo.

However, neither junior Jake Shaw nor sophomore Will Smith were able to finish in the top eight in Saturday's short "go," the Vikings placing 30th out of 57 teams with 157.5 points.

Shaw's 3.9 seconds to win the first round in steer wrestling was the best time of the meet, but the object proved elusive in the finals. The Cocoa, Fla., cowboy couldn't score for the only time of the week and wound up in 11th place overall, having accumulated the second-highest point total in the NIRA during the regular season.

Shaw also finished 22nd in tie-down roping, putting him fifth in the all-around cowboy rankings for the rodeo. He added team points by coming in sixth in Friday's third round with a time of 11.8 seconds.

Smith, from Luyoff, S.C., reached the saddle bronc riding finals by tying for sixth place with a score of 72.5 points during Friday's third go. He was ninth in the championship show with 70.5 points, so with four successful rides for 271.0 points Smith wound up 10th in the standings.

Junior Kyle Brennecke of Grain Valley had three completed mounts in bareback riding, the second one with a low 56.0 score due to a balky horse -- officials rejected a request for a re-ride -- but his tally of 205.5 was only good for 15th place and exclusion from the finals.

Junior James Earl Carter of Ellsinore needed a good score Friday to move on, but he was thrown and wound up 23rd.

After being stopped on his first two bull rides, freshman Will Crain of Farina, Ill., had a 73.5-point ride Friday, but he needed a 78.5 to advance.

All four of the Valley women -- with six entries in two events -- were done earlier in the week, without scoring any team points.

Western Texas College won the men's title with 820 points, with Tennessee-Martin -- runner up to the Vikings in the Ozark Region regular season standings for the second year in a row -- coming in ninth.

Wyoming claimed the women's crown.