Alexis McDonald
Photo by: Jack Power
Tayla Moeykens, Trav Johnson Lead Bobcats During First Full Day of 2024 CNFR
6/10/2024 3:24:00 PM | Men's Rodeo, Women's Rodeo
Consistency shines through in long-time star Moeykens' showing
Highlighted by a pair of veterans, the Montana State rodeo team turned in a solid first full day at the 2024 College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyoming, on Monday.
Moeykens, a senior former barrel racing national champion, finished third in the first round of that event with a mark of 14.03 at the Ford Wyoming Center Monday morning. Sophomore Jaden Whitman captured fourth (4.8) in the first go of the steer wrestling.
"Tayla and Trav both did good," said MSU head coach Kyle Whitaker. "Those are definitely highlights. It was a good day, and those two really had strong runs."
Whitaker lauded Moeykens' consistency. "It's pretty remarkable how many times Tayla has been top four in a go here in the barrel racing," he said. "She's so consistent, there's not too many people you can count on do that well in every single run."
Monday's barrel racing run was Moeykens' 13th in the Wyoming Ford Center during CNFR competition. She's won five of those go-rounds, finished in the top five eight times, and finished in the top 10 11 times. "I like racing there," she said last week of Casper's arena. Then she smiled. "Because I've always done well there."
As impressed as Whitaker is with Moeykens, Johnson is approaching that level of consistency. "Trav is getting there," Whitaker said. "He really is. He had a good, solid run."
Whitman's fifth run at the CNFR proved to be his fastest, as he posted a 4.8 on Monday to finish fourth in the go. As a freshman last year, he finished tied for 23rd in the first round (12.3), sixth in the second (5.6), 13th in the third (6.0), and fifth in the short go (5.3).
Every Bobcat finished the first go-round in their event by Monday afternoon. After being bucked off in the first saddle bronc round, Montey Bailey's 70 points was good for ninth in the second go. Freshman Cole Gerhardt was bucked off of his first saddle bronc horse, and finished 25th in the first round of the steer wrestling. Bode Spring finished 10th in the first go of tie-down roping, while Wyatt Jensen was 17th and Wes Shaw missed his calf. Jaden Whitman finished 14th in the first round of steer wrestling, while Wes Shaw took 15th in bareback in the first go.
"Jaden Whitman made a good run on the steer that he had," Whitaker said. "It was a tough one. Bode Spring and Wyatt Jensen both made decent runs in tie-down roping."
After missing her first calf in breakaway roping on Sunday, Moeykens marked a 3.9 on Monday and stands in 17th during the second go-round. Meghan McGinley also failed to score on her first head in that event. "I had high hopes for Meghan, but she has the opportunity to score go-round points and I know she'll do good. Tayla had a good run, but her (calf) almost stopped before pulling the rope off."
Breyer Newman finished 11th in the first go of goat tying, and Jessica Stevens grabbed 13th. Alexis McDonald's 14.55 in barrel racing was good for 25th in the round.
"The CNFR is about not making mistakes," Whitaker said. "Even if you don't place in a round, you want to not make a mistake and take yourself out of the (competition in the) average. That's the key. We can still reach all our goals, even if we didn't score as many points as we'd like in the first round."
Most Bobcats return to competition on Tuesday, with Wes Shaw (bareback) and Moeykens (breakaway) drawing the evening performance. Monte Bailey has Tuesday off from competition, while the other nine compete in Tuesday morning's slack. Cumulative results and Tuesday's competitors are below.
CUMULATIVE MSU RESULTS
BAREBACK: Wes Shaw – 1st Go: 74.5 (15th)
SADDLE BRONC: Cole Gerheardt – 1st Go: NS
SADDLE BRONC: Monte Bailey – 1st Go: NS; 2nd Go: 70 (9th)
STEER WRESTLING: Cole Gerhardt – 1st Go: 15.2 (25th)
STEER WRESTLING: Trav Johnson – 1st Go: 4.8 (4th)
STEER WRESTLING: Jade Whitman – 1st Go: 6.8 (14th)
TIE-DOWN ROPING: Wyatt Jensen – 1st Go: 13.6 (17th)
TIE-DOWN ROPING: Wes Shaw – 1st Go: NS
TIE-DOWN ROPING: Bode Spring – 1st Go: 11.0 (10th)
BARRELS: Tayla Moeykens – 1st Go: 14.03 (3rd)
BARRELS: Alexis McDonald – 1st Go: 14.55 (25th)
BREAKAWAY: Tayla Moeykens – 1st Go: NS; 2nd Go: 3.9 (*17th)
BREAKAWAY: Meghan McGinley – 1st Go: NS
GOAT TYING: Breyer Newman – 1st Go: 6.6 (11th)
GOAT TYING: Jessica Stevens – 1st Go: 6.7 (13th)
*-Round in progress
SCHEDULE FOR BOBCATS ON TUESDAY, June 11
COLE GERHARDT: Bareback Go 2/Section 3 in slack; Steer Wrestling Go 2/Section 1 in performance
WYATT JENSEN: Tie-Down Roping 2nd Go/Section 2 in slack
TRAV JOHNSON: Steer Wrestling 2nd Go/Section 2 in slack
WES SHAW: Tie-Down Roping 2nd Go/Section 1 in slack; Bareback 2nd Go/Section 4 in slack; Bareback 3rd Go/Section 1 in performance
BODE SPRING: Tie-Down Roping 2nd Go/Section 1 in slack
JADEN WHITMAN: Steer Wrestling 2nd Go/Section 1 in slack
ALEXIS McDONALD: Barrel Racing 2nd Go/Section 1 in slack
MEGHAN McGINLEY: Breakaway Roping 2nd Go/Section 2 in slack
TAYLA MOEYKENS: Barrel Racing 2nd Go/Section 1 in slack; Breakaway Roping 3rd Go/Section 1 in performance
BREYER NEWMAN: Goat Tying 2nd Go/Section 1 in slack
JESSICA STEVENS: Goat Tying 2nd Go/Section 2 in slack
#GoCatsGo
Moeykens, a senior former barrel racing national champion, finished third in the first round of that event with a mark of 14.03 at the Ford Wyoming Center Monday morning. Sophomore Jaden Whitman captured fourth (4.8) in the first go of the steer wrestling.
"Tayla and Trav both did good," said MSU head coach Kyle Whitaker. "Those are definitely highlights. It was a good day, and those two really had strong runs."
Whitaker lauded Moeykens' consistency. "It's pretty remarkable how many times Tayla has been top four in a go here in the barrel racing," he said. "She's so consistent, there's not too many people you can count on do that well in every single run."
Monday's barrel racing run was Moeykens' 13th in the Wyoming Ford Center during CNFR competition. She's won five of those go-rounds, finished in the top five eight times, and finished in the top 10 11 times. "I like racing there," she said last week of Casper's arena. Then she smiled. "Because I've always done well there."
As impressed as Whitaker is with Moeykens, Johnson is approaching that level of consistency. "Trav is getting there," Whitaker said. "He really is. He had a good, solid run."
Whitman's fifth run at the CNFR proved to be his fastest, as he posted a 4.8 on Monday to finish fourth in the go. As a freshman last year, he finished tied for 23rd in the first round (12.3), sixth in the second (5.6), 13th in the third (6.0), and fifth in the short go (5.3).
Every Bobcat finished the first go-round in their event by Monday afternoon. After being bucked off in the first saddle bronc round, Montey Bailey's 70 points was good for ninth in the second go. Freshman Cole Gerhardt was bucked off of his first saddle bronc horse, and finished 25th in the first round of the steer wrestling. Bode Spring finished 10th in the first go of tie-down roping, while Wyatt Jensen was 17th and Wes Shaw missed his calf. Jaden Whitman finished 14th in the first round of steer wrestling, while Wes Shaw took 15th in bareback in the first go.
"Jaden Whitman made a good run on the steer that he had," Whitaker said. "It was a tough one. Bode Spring and Wyatt Jensen both made decent runs in tie-down roping."
After missing her first calf in breakaway roping on Sunday, Moeykens marked a 3.9 on Monday and stands in 17th during the second go-round. Meghan McGinley also failed to score on her first head in that event. "I had high hopes for Meghan, but she has the opportunity to score go-round points and I know she'll do good. Tayla had a good run, but her (calf) almost stopped before pulling the rope off."
Breyer Newman finished 11th in the first go of goat tying, and Jessica Stevens grabbed 13th. Alexis McDonald's 14.55 in barrel racing was good for 25th in the round.
"The CNFR is about not making mistakes," Whitaker said. "Even if you don't place in a round, you want to not make a mistake and take yourself out of the (competition in the) average. That's the key. We can still reach all our goals, even if we didn't score as many points as we'd like in the first round."
Most Bobcats return to competition on Tuesday, with Wes Shaw (bareback) and Moeykens (breakaway) drawing the evening performance. Monte Bailey has Tuesday off from competition, while the other nine compete in Tuesday morning's slack. Cumulative results and Tuesday's competitors are below.
CUMULATIVE MSU RESULTS
BAREBACK: Wes Shaw – 1st Go: 74.5 (15th)
SADDLE BRONC: Cole Gerheardt – 1st Go: NS
SADDLE BRONC: Monte Bailey – 1st Go: NS; 2nd Go: 70 (9th)
STEER WRESTLING: Cole Gerhardt – 1st Go: 15.2 (25th)
STEER WRESTLING: Trav Johnson – 1st Go: 4.8 (4th)
STEER WRESTLING: Jade Whitman – 1st Go: 6.8 (14th)
TIE-DOWN ROPING: Wyatt Jensen – 1st Go: 13.6 (17th)
TIE-DOWN ROPING: Wes Shaw – 1st Go: NS
TIE-DOWN ROPING: Bode Spring – 1st Go: 11.0 (10th)
BARRELS: Tayla Moeykens – 1st Go: 14.03 (3rd)
BARRELS: Alexis McDonald – 1st Go: 14.55 (25th)
BREAKAWAY: Tayla Moeykens – 1st Go: NS; 2nd Go: 3.9 (*17th)
BREAKAWAY: Meghan McGinley – 1st Go: NS
GOAT TYING: Breyer Newman – 1st Go: 6.6 (11th)
GOAT TYING: Jessica Stevens – 1st Go: 6.7 (13th)
*-Round in progress
SCHEDULE FOR BOBCATS ON TUESDAY, June 11
COLE GERHARDT: Bareback Go 2/Section 3 in slack; Steer Wrestling Go 2/Section 1 in performance
WYATT JENSEN: Tie-Down Roping 2nd Go/Section 2 in slack
TRAV JOHNSON: Steer Wrestling 2nd Go/Section 2 in slack
WES SHAW: Tie-Down Roping 2nd Go/Section 1 in slack; Bareback 2nd Go/Section 4 in slack; Bareback 3rd Go/Section 1 in performance
BODE SPRING: Tie-Down Roping 2nd Go/Section 1 in slack
JADEN WHITMAN: Steer Wrestling 2nd Go/Section 1 in slack
ALEXIS McDONALD: Barrel Racing 2nd Go/Section 1 in slack
MEGHAN McGINLEY: Breakaway Roping 2nd Go/Section 2 in slack
TAYLA MOEYKENS: Barrel Racing 2nd Go/Section 1 in slack; Breakaway Roping 3rd Go/Section 1 in performance
BREYER NEWMAN: Goat Tying 2nd Go/Section 1 in slack
JESSICA STEVENS: Goat Tying 2nd Go/Section 2 in slack
#GoCatsGo
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Rodeo
/ Women's Rodeo
/ Women's Rodeo
/ Women's Rodeo
/ Men's Rodeo
/ Men's Rodeo
/ Women's Rodeo
/ Men's Rodeo
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