Casper, Wyo. - On August 6, 2024, the Northwest women's soccer team boarded vans heading to Jonesboro, Arkansas, for a soccer exhibition match against Arkansas State. That match marked the unofficial start of the 2024-25 athletic calendar for Ranger athletes. Tonight, that calendar will officially be closed. Tonight, two Rangers will go #ALLN on the biggest stage in their chosen sport.
Will Collier (steer wrestling) and
Dakota Smith (bull riding) will represent Northwest in the Short Go of the College National Finals Rodeo. The CNFR is the "Big Game" of intercollegiate rodeo. College rodeo athletes like Collier and Smith have competed in this event for 76 years.
Northwest has not competed for quite that long, but since Coach Bud Young started the program in 1973 it has sent its share of athletes to the event over the years-Eddy Halfacre, Jack Roberson Jr., Merrie Carol Martin Butler, and reigning International Professional Rodeo Association Barrel Racing World Champion Kindyl Scruggs-to name a few. Last year,
Laine Moore represented the Rangers in the Short Go as a team roping header alongside partner Tanner Brown (East Mississippi). That duo placed 4th in the nation. Despite that treasured history, this year has a chance to be different...special, even.
Dakota Smith, a freshman bull rider from Kaufman, Texas, had one of the most electrifying rides of the CNFR on Tuesday night. Down to his last attempt, he needed every bit of the eight seconds and a strong bull to qualify for the Short Go. He got all of that, and more, when he scored an 83.5.
The ride did not win Go 3 for Smith-Jerry Gutierrez of Sam Houston State scored an 84.0 later in the week-but it did put him in position to ride on Saturday night. Smith sits in a two-way tie for 8th place with a legitimate shot at a top-three finish. All he needs is an old rope, a good bull, and the support of everyone back home.
Will Collier, a sophomore steer wrestler from Malden, Missouri, thought his hopes might be dashed on Thursday night. He led the average after two head, but had a steer who was just too stubborn to run. Ranger head coach
Will Lummus advocated on behalf of his athlete, the judges agreed, and Collier performed. The Ranger converted his re-run into a 5.6-second time, good enough to hold on to the lead.
Collier still leads heading into the Short Go tonight. His time of 14.4 on three is just ahead of the 15.9 belonging to Cameron Haumea of Sul Ross State-a traditional power. Collier has a chance on Saturday to do something no other Ranger Rodeo athlete has ever done-win a CNFR championship. When asked on
CNFR Tonight the best piece of advice Coach Lummus had given him, Collier's answer was simple... "Do your job."
That Ranger soccer team mentioned earlier won the 2024 NJCAA DII Women's Soccer Championship. You can tune in tonight to watch Collier try to bookend that feat. Smith and Collier compete for the Rangers live on ESPN3 at 8:00 P.M. Central.
The final results from the CNFR will be posted
here.
