BY DAVID RODISH GILLETTE NEWS RECORD SPORTS EDITOR

The Gillette College women's rodeo team finished last season as the team to beat. A collection of top-ranked freshmen led the team to winning the region.

Coach Will LaDuke expects the Pronghorns to continue where they left off.

Last year's freshmen will be back and should have another year where they are leading the region in multiple events and the overall score. But there will be some shoes to fill. Ellie Bard had been with the Pronghorns since the 2019-20 season. Bard took sixth in the barrel racing in the College National Finals Rodeo in June. Jaycie West, another graduate from last year, qualified in the barrel racing.

But LaDuke expects the holdovers from last year to be even better. Layni Stevens, who finished just shy of qualifying for the CNFR, has stood out to LaDuke in her offseason work. He said that last year the team relied heavily on Haiden Thompson, but this year they won't have to as much with how Stevens has come along this summer.

Stevens said she feels more prepared and ready for the season than she was at this point last year, and that will help her qualify.

"Last year I was the typical freshman — I was scatterbrained, I wasn't real sure what to think of anything yet," Stevens said. "This year, I know where we're going, I know the set up. I'm pretty confident."

Stevens started her college career on new horses, which added to the challenge of her freshman year. Now that she has had a year roping with her horses, she feels much better about what she can accomplish this season.

Three Pronghorns, Stevens, Staheli Adams and Bradie Crouse, stayed in Gillette over the summer to continue practicing at the facility. That extra time and the amateur rodeos they all competed in over the summer have paid dividends.

"They're that much wiser, that much more mature and have run into a lot of different situations over the summer rodeoing," LaDuke said. "Their goal is to win the region again and hopefully be in the conversation for a national championship."

The University of Wyoming women's team made a late push toward the end of the spring season. In the CNFR, the Cowgirls finished ahead of the Pronghorns. LaDuke expects them to challenge Gillette once again.

The men's team, however, is hoping for a much better result than last year. To make it happen, the Pronghorns will have a drastically different men's team.

So far, LaDuke has liked what he's seen. The team is competitive and has both good athletes and good horses that can make some noise that the men's team hasn't made in a few years.

With the overhaul that the men's team had, the new members of the team have used the opportunity to bond with one another. They push each other at practices and enjoy each others' company. While they're new teammates, they were familiar with one another from their high school rodeo days.

"They seem to just be taking care of business as far as getting to class, getting in their practice work and learning time management, which is big for freshmen," LaDuke said.

The Pronghorns had their first roughstock practice a few days ago and LaDuke was pleased with what he saw from that group. The team has some big recruits on that side of the team that could put some points on the board for Gillette College. LaDuke believes the team has nowhere to go but up from the past few years.

Kautzman has caught the attention of his teammates. Most members of the team spend the majority of their day at the barn practicing or doing homework in the lounge. But the number of hours Kautzman has put in at the college barn is more than usual.

"He's a work-a-holic. He's a very athletic, good size cowboy," LaDuke said. "He's here all day — I hope he's going to class."

While Kautzman's class attendance may be in question, the rest of the team and the freshmen in particular have been good about staying on top of their schooling. Stevens's first goal is to maintain a 4.0 GPA, something she did during her freshman year.

The first rodeo will be in Chadron, Nebraska from Sept. 15-17. The Pronghorns will have five rodeos over the course of a month for the fall season.

To view full article click HERE.