ISU rodeo team members headed to College National Finals Rodeo

Four Idaho State University Rodeo Team members are headed to the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR), June 13-19 in Casper, Wyo.

The are Montana Barlow, Cy Eames, Kim Sanford, and Kyle VanBiezen will represent the University as they compete for a chance to win national titles.

Barlow, a freshman from Eden, placed second in bull riding in the Rocky Mountain Region lending him one of the spots to represent ISU and the region at the CNFR. This is Montana’s first year on the ISU Rodeo team and is majoring in Welding. He is an accomplished bull rider. As an eighth grader he qualified for the Wrangler Junior High finals, placing tenth and he went on to compete throughout his high school career, making it to the national high school finals three years.

Eames is also a freshman this year at ISU, majoring in finance. He is from Gooding and was the Idaho High School Rodeo All Around Cowboy in 2009.  He has earned a spot at the CNFR in both tie-down roping and team roping. He placed third in the region in tie-down roping and second as a header in team roping. He will represent the Rocky Mountain Region and ISU in both events at the CNFR. Cy also competes in steer wrestling. He plans to purchase his PRCA card and rodeo professionally.

Sanford is a junior at ISU, majoring in psychology. She is from Rigby. Kim competes in breakaway roping, team roping and barrel racing. She placed first in the Rocky Mountain Region in barrel racing. To recognize her accomplishments she received a saddle this past weekend following the intercollegiate rodeo held at CSI. She will represent the University and Region at the CNFR in barrel racing.  Kim is also an Intermountain Professional Rodeo Association card holder.

VanBiezen is from Twin Falls. He competes in tie-down roping, team roping and steer wrestling. Kyle earned second place in the Rocky Mountain Region in tie-down roping and will compete at the CNFR in this event. He also received third place in the region for the Men’s All Around title and seventh place in steer wrestling. Kyle served as the rodeo team’s president this year and is working on completing a secondary education major. Prior to his membership on the ISU team, Kyle was on the Montana Western rodeo team.

Final results for the Rocky Mountain Region show the ISU men’s team in fourth place and ISU women’s team in third place for the year. In addition to ISU team members headed to the CNFR, other ISU Rodeo Team members placed regionally. They include: Trevor Townsend, seventh in Tie-Down Roping and ninth in Team Roping; Jessea Kack, seveth in Barrel Racing; Brianna Overdorf, 18th in Barrel Racing; Cami Schei, 19th in Barrel Racing and 22nd in Breakaway Roping; and Heidi Small, 16th in Breakaway Roping.

The CNFR is the "Rose Bowl" of college rodeo. It is where the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association crowns individual event champions in saddle bronc riding, bare back riding, bull riding, tie-down roping, steer wrestling, team roping, barrel racing, breakaway roping, and goat tying. National team championships are also awarded to both men's and women's teams. Over 400 cowboys and cowgirls from over 100 universities and colleges compete in Casper each year. Contestants compete all year in one of the NIRA's 11 regions for a chance to rope or ride at the CNFR.

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