(Laramie, WY) – Josie Mousel, of Colman, S.D., has been the story for the University of Wyoming women’s team at the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) in Casper, leading the Cowgirls to second place in the nation after two rounds of action.
Mousel, a junior, has scored all 215 team points going into the final round that began Tuesday night. The UW Cowgirl leads the CNFR goat-tying event, having recorded the opening round’s top time, and followed that with a split of the second-best time in breakaway roping.
By scoring points in more than one event, Mousel is the runaway national all-around leader. She has those 215 individual points, while runner-up Quincey Morgan-Montoya, of New Mexico Junior College is a distant second at 70 points.
“Josie is obviously in a great spot in the goats and needs to have another good run Wednesday to be in contention for two national titles in the goats and all-around,” UW Coach Seth Glause says. “She looks focused and competing at her best.”
As a team, the Cowgirls are just 15 points out of taking the national lead. Weatherford College, of Weatherford, Texas, leads with 230 points.
On the men’s side, the Cowboys are 11th with 135 points. Clarendon College, in Clarendon, Texas, heads the pack with 400 points, while Weatherford College is chasing with 385 and in the runner-up position.
A pair of UW tie-down ropers went for broke in an attempt to score round points during the first of five night performances Tuesday. The pair were the only UW team members competing in the opener.
Both Treg Thorstensen and Tate Talkington had hopes of reaching Saturday’s CNFR championship round, but early rounds scuttled those plans. With a chance to place among the third-round leaders, both had successful ropes, but it will probably not be enough to return to
compete against the dozen qualifiers.
Talkington, from Scottsbluff, Neb., had his best run of the week, recording a 9.6 to go along with an opening time of 11.9 seconds, but a no-time in between will leave him short of his goal. Thorstensen, of Lantry, S.D., also had his best showing, stopping the clock in 10.3 seconds, giving him a 42.9 time in the aggregate. He successfully tied three calves this week but, with three more nights of competition left, that may keep him out of the top 12.
Four UW team members will get their third-round appearances Wednesday night.
Mousel attempts to keep her goat tying lead, while Cowgirl teammate Layni Stevens, from St. Lawrence, S.D., will compete in the same event. She will go for round points after suffering a no-time in the second round.
Two Cowboys also are up, including Greybull’s Colton Farrow in bareback riding. He has two qualified rides for 155.75 points and needs just another solid ride to reach his first CNFR championship round. Also up is Jacob Wang, of Baker, Mont., who is looking for round points after getting a no-time in the opening round and a 4.9-second run after round two.
Glause sees different scenarios for all of the team members going into the third round. Some team members are in short-go contention, and some will be attempting to take some chances to win the round.
“It’s been a great week, and we just need to keep giving a winning effort in the third go,” he adds. “It continues to shape up to be an exciting week.”
Tuesday Afternoon Recap
June 16, 2026 — After a pair of dominating runs in two different events, University of Wyoming women’s team member Josie Mousel is setting her sights on an even bigger prize: an all-around title at the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) in Casper.
After winning the opening round of goat tying the day before, Mousel nearly did it again early Tuesday afternoon during the second slack session. As the third competitor in the final goat tying section, Mousel was nearly perfect the second time around, stopping the clock in 6 seconds, just two-tenths of a second off her 5.8-second time in the opening round. It gives her a two-round time of 11.8 seconds, enabling her to retain the overall national lead.
Her second run was the top time until one of the final competitors went 5.9, dropping the Colman, S.D., Cowgirl to a tie for second in the round.
“It was slightly slower today, but it still felt just as good to me,” Mousel says. “The goat was a little bigger, usually resulting in a slower time and a slower handling. I tried to be smoother today. I felt yesterday that I was really aggressive, and today I wanted to be smoother. I’m up again tomorrow night, and that will be my game plan again — knock down all my steps and make no mistakes.”
Mousel was just as good in her breakaway roping run earlier in the morning, stopping the clock in a blazing 1.9 seconds, tying her with two other competitors for the fastest time of the second round — and adding even more points to the Cowgirls’ overall team total. She suffered a no-time in the opening round of breakaway roping, or else she’d be a national contender in two separate events.
“I felt I carried my momentum from yesterday when I won the round in goat tying, and then I felt I carried it over into the breakaway today,” Mousel says. “I drew a good calf, and they actually won the first round on the same calf. I knew he was good.”
With Mousel scoring heavily in two rounds of goat tying, and now adding second-round breakaway roping points, the UW junior is now in contention for the all-around title — something she definitely has her eye on. So far, she has scored 215 individual points in two events.
“That’s kind of my goal now: to win the all-around,” she says, but adds that she may not reach the breakaway roping short go this weekend unless she wins the third round.
“I as dang sure want to be behind the barrier and to trust my rope to try to win the round,” she says.
“Josie did a tremendous job today,” UW Coach Seth Glause says. “She scored great on a calf that didn’t give her an honest start and made a great run. She followed up with a solid run in the goats. She looks focused and is competing at a high level.”
Several other UW Cowgirls and Cowboys also competed in the final slack round, with a handful remaining in contention for championship-round bids.
Makenzi Scott, from Rock Springs, was on point in her second barrel racing run, completing the cloverleaf pattern in a sub-14-second run. Her 13.97-second clocking was the second round’s 10th fastest time. She is now at 28.35 seconds and is 14th in the average.
Scott has to wait until Thursday’s performance to move up in the average and the chance to qualify for Saturday’s championship round. Only the top 12 times and marks through three rounds during the week — for both men’s and women’s competitors — earn bids for Saturday’s championship round.
Layni Stevens, from St. Lawrence, S.D., was on her way to surpass her goat tying opening round time but, unfortunately, the goat managed to kick out of its tie after Stevens appeared headed to a 6.2-second run. She was 6.6 the day before, leaving just Wednesday’s performance in her CNFR run.
Olivia Lay’s tough breakaway roping week continued during her second run. The Elbert, Colo., roper was in line for the round’s top time when she roped the calf in 1.9 seconds, but she came
out of the box too soon, breaking the barrier. The 10-second penalty boosted her tie-down time to 11.9 seconds. She had a no-time earlier in the week. Lay closes out her CNFR week Friday.
Greybull’s Colton Farrow remains in contention for a short-go bid, as he marked for the second time in bareback riding. He rode Logos to 74.25 points, giving him 155.75 points on two, leaving him 10th in the average. He is scheduled to compete in the third round Wednesday.
A pair of tie-down ropers had solid runs Tuesday morning.
Rio Nutter, of Rapid City, S.D., had his best time of the week, clocking 9 seconds to give him 28.4 on two runs, boosting him to 14th in the average. Teammate Treg Thorstensen, from Lantry, S.D., followed up minutes later with a 10.5-second time. He is now 32.6 after two rounds of competition and 22nd in the average. Thorstensen has his third attempt Tuesday night, and Nutter closes out the event Friday.
Two more calf ropers also competed, with mixed results. Traven Sharon, from Ordway, Colo., posted a 13.8, giving him 28 seconds on two, while Tate Talkington, of Scottsbluff, Neb., suffered a no-time minutes later. Talkington has his third run Tuesday, and Sharon remains in contention — sitting 13th in the average — and has his third attempt Thursday.
Sharon did double-duty Tuesday morning. He had a 79.75-point ride on Camble County to give him two successful saddle bronc marks this week. He’s 153.75 on two heading into Thursday’s performance, giving him a good shot of reaching the championship round, and is seventh in the average.
“Josie did a tremendous job today,” UW Coach Seth Glause says. “She scored great on a calf that didn’t give her an honest start and made a great run. She followed up with a solid run in the goats. She looks focused and is competing at a high level.”
UW Assistant Coach Jacey Hupp says Mousel did not let a setback in the first round of breakaway affect her approach Tuesday morning.
“She bounced back with a round-winning performance and followed it up with another outstanding run in the goat tying,” Hupp says. “Josie’s put herself in a great position to contend for a national title. We’re incredibly proud of her resilience, determination and the years of hard work that are paying off on this stage.”
The Cowboys had three bulldoggers competing in steer wrestling, with just one registering a confirmed time.
Monday Afternoon Recap
June 15, 2026 — University of Wyoming Cowgirl Josie Mousel is proving why she was the national goat tying leader for more than half of the regular season. Now, when it counts the most, she has topped the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) standings.
Coming off a no-time during last year’s CNFR in Casper, the Colman, S.D., junior stopped the clock in a blazing 5.7 seconds to take the national lead after the completion of round one during Monday’s slack session.
Mousel, who came into collegiate rodeo’s culminating event with the fifth most individual goat tying points accumulated during the regular season, wants to reach her second straight CNFR championship round — and, more importantly, come away as a national contender. With two rounds remaining to get into Saturday’s championship round — where, a year ago, her goat kicked out of its tie to leave her out of the top 10 — Mousel knows she just has to focus on the next goat.
“One miss on a tie can take you out of the average,” she says. “I need to keep my head down, keep focused on all the goats I have left – and, if I make no mistakes, the cards will land in my favor.”
Her impressive opening round began when her horse ran straight and fast down the arena floor; Mousel then had a clean dismount and “ran as fast as I could on my feet” toward the goat. She drew a smaller animal, which helped power her by taking the goat down cleanly and quicker for a successful tie.
“All I could think at that point is to make sure I get a good running start to the goat and, after that, it’s all a blur. I can’t think of a whole lot at that point,” she says.
Her run was similar to last season, when she won the goat tying’s third round. She hopes to regain her status as the national leader for the rest of the week. Mousel competed earlier in the morning in breakaway roping but missed her calf.
Fourteen UW team members also competed Monday during the first of two straight days of slack. It was a tough go for most of the Cowboys and Cowgirls.
Two of Mousel’s Cowgirl teammates saw their first CNFR action earlier in the day. Layni Stevens, of St. Lawrence, S.D., managed a 6.6-second time in goat tying that put her 11th after the first
round. Rock Springs’ Mackenzi Scott stopped the clock in 14.38 seconds in barrel racing, putting her 25th in the average.
The Cowboys really struggled to find their footing throughout the day, especially in the timed events.
In steer wrestling, Thayne Kimbrough, from Ohiowa, Neb., had the top individual performance for the Pokes, placing 11th overall based on his 5.1-second opening steer wrestling run. Teammates Jacob Wang, of Baker, Mont., and Sam Gallagher, of Brighton, Colo., both recorded no-times on their runs.
Tate Talkington, from Scottsbluff, Neb., and Traven Sharon, of Ordway, Colo., turned in the top tie-down roping performances for the Cowboys. Talkington posted a time of 11.9 seconds, while Sharon roped his calf in 14.02, leaving them 14th and 19th, respectively, after the opening round.
Sitting in the top 30 in the same event are teammates Rio Nutter, of Rapid City, S.D., and Treg Thorstensen, of Lantry, S.D., who were both hit with 10-second penalties for breaking the barrier coming out of the box too early. Nutter’s time was 19.4, and Thorstensen’s was 22.1.
Only one of three UW team roping teams had a successful run Monday.
The Weil brothers, Rowdy and Roan, both had good ropes, recording a 15.1-second time. The duo of Nutter and Thorstensen had no-time, as did Kash Reynolds, from Rozet, and partner Tyon Arneson, representing Sheridan College.
And Aidan Sawyer, of Sheridan, was bucked off his bull for the second straight day.
The first of four nightly performances is Tuesday evening, with the top 12 individual marks and times in both the men’s and women’s events earning championship-round bids Saturday night.
Sunday Recap
Colton Farrow’s belief in himself is paying off at the right time of the year for the University of Wyoming Cowboy.
The Greybull graduate student rode Freaky Deaky to 81.5 points Sunday to open his final turn at the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) at Casper’s Ford Wyoming Center. His opening bareback bronc riding mark put him in a two-way tie for fourth in the nation after the first full round of competition.
Farrow’s ride during the fan favorite “Broncs, Bulls and Breakaway” competition — featuring all roughstock riders and women’s breakaway ropers — set the tone for what he hopes is a successful week.
Farrow says he drew a pretty stocky horse that came out and jumped and kicked out every time.
“He was a picture-perfect horse, really,” says Farrow, who matched his high point total on a single ride this season.
Farrow says he entered the CNFR with plenty of confidence and belief in himself after not qualifying for the championship round last summer.
“Eighty-one points is a good start to the week. I need to keep piling up the points the rest of the week to win,” he says. “My success is knowing that I’m working hard.”
Farrow did a great job in the opening round, UW Coach Seth Glause says.
“He had a good horse and made a great ride. He just needs to keep it rolling this week,” Glause says.
Farrow next competes in Tuesday morning’s slack round.
Farrow was among five UW team members competing on the opening day of CNFR action.
Teammate Traven Sharon, of Ordway, Colo., later in the evening, followed up with a 74-point saddle bronc ride to register points in the first of his three guaranteed rides this week. He is sitting 13th after round one of competition.
“Traven finishes strong. He had a great spur out and just set his rein down. He finished aggressive,” Glause says. “He has a good horse for his second one. He will come back ready to ride on his next two.”
Sharon competes again during Tuesday’s slack round and will open his second event, tie-down roping, in Monday and Tuesday’s slack.
The third UW Cowboy to compete during Sunday’s performance was Sheridan bull rider Aidan Sawyer, who was unsuccessful on his first attempt after being thrown early in the ride. He competes again during Monday’s slack.
Two UW Cowgirls also were up in the breakaway portion of Sunday’s matinee performance, but both suffered tough opening rounds.
Josie Mousel, of Colman, S.D., and Olivia Lay, of Elbert, Colo., both came up short during the CNFR’s “Broncs, Bulls and Breakaway” opening event of the weeklong CNFR competition.
“Olivia and Josie came up with empty loops in their first round, but there is a lot of rodeo left and points to capture,” UW Assistant Coach Jacey Hupp says. “They are in good spirits and will return with a vengeance in round two.”
Lay has her second breakaway roping run during Monday’s slack session, and Mousel is up again during Tuesday’s final slack round.
Sixteen UW qualifiers are all scheduled to compete in the two slack rounds over the next couple of days, and all have the opportunity to be under the arena’s lights for an evening performance beginning Tuesday evening and stretching into Friday, June 19.
The top 12 men’s and women’s qualifiers from three complete rounds of competition move onto Saturday’s championship round. All night performances begin at 7 p.m. at the Ford Wyoming Center.