CASPER, Wyo. – The Black Hills State University men's and women's rodeo teams opened the 2025 College National Finals Rodeo with first and second go arounds on Sunday and Monday at the Ford Wyoming Center. Leading the charge for the Yellow Jackets and first out of the gates at 7 a.m. in barrel racing was Sierra Steele, who began her hunt back to the short go for potentially a second straight year as she posted a top-10 finish in the event in her first go.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED - MEN'S RODEO

• Jess Harper was the final Yellow Jacket to compete on Monday afternoon, taking the arena in team roping with fellow Great Plains Region cowboy Colton Zubach of Dickinson State. The pair was unable to post a time during the first go as the steer's back legs narrowly avoided being caught on Harper's catch attempt.

HOW IT HAPPENED – WOMEN'S RODEO

• Making a return to the CNFR, but her first appearance as a Yellow Jacket, Sierra Steele was the first barrel racer out of the gates on Monday morning, posting a time of 14.57 seconds on a clean run for a tie for tenth place on the first go around.
• Also making a return to the CNFR and starting off her run in the all-around competition, Cashae McGee made a clean run through the barrels and clocked a time of 14.92 seconds for 24^th place in the first go around.
• Competing at the CNFR for the first time since 2023, Emma Ohm was unable to record a time in the first and second go arounds of the breakaway roping on Sunday evening and Monday morning.
• Making her debut as a freshman at the CNFR, Raylee Fagerhaug led the way for Black Hills State in goat tying during the first go as she clocked a time of 9.4 seconds to tie for 41^st place at the end of the day.
• Also making her debut at the CNFR in goat tying, Haley Husted looked to post a time of 7.0 seconds, however, the time did not stand as one of the goat's legs came free at the very end.
• Making her second appearance of the day as the all-around cowgirl, McGee posted a time of 10.2 seconds for 44^th place in goat tying, recovering to record a time after losing her footing over the stake in the dirt.

SIERRA STEELE INTERVIEW FOLLOWING SLACK #1 BARREL RACING


EMMA OHM INTERVIEW FOLLOWING SLACK #1 BREAKAWAY ROPING


RAYLEE FAGERHAUG, HALEY HUSTED, AND HEAD COACH GLEN LAMMERS INTERVIEW FOLLOWING SLACK #1


UP NEXT
Five Yellow Jackets will compete in the second day of slack on Tuesday, June 17, with the action once again getting off to an early start at 7 a.m. with section one of the second go around of barrel racing. Both Cashae McGee and Sierra Steele will compete in section one, with McGee being the 21^st to go and Steele being the 46^th and final to go. All three goat tying athletes will once again be in action, with McGee being the lone to compete in section one of the second go around, being the 22^nd to compete. Haley Husted and Raylee Fagerhaug will both compete in section two of the second go around, with Husted being the 48^th to go and Fagerhaug being the 54^th to go in the event during the day. Rounding out the day will be the second go around of team roping, as Jess Harper will pair up with Colton Zubach of Dickinson State and will be the 23^rd duo to compete in section one.