Northwest Mississippi Athletes Make Strides at College National Finals Rodeo in Casper
CASPER, Wyo. — Three athletes from Northwest Mississippi Community College competed Tuesday at the College National Finals Rodeo. The event ran from early morning until nearly 10 p.m., with five attempts for a shot at Saturday’s short go, according to sources.
Current Rangers Raegan Chance, a freshman barrel racer from Mendenhall; Will Collier, a junior steer wrestler from Malden, Missouri; and Dakota Smith, a sophomore bull rider from Kaufman, Texas, all competed in the performance rounds. Collier and Smith completed their third go on Tuesday night and await results in their respective events. Chance finished her second run and will compete again Wednesday night, with her performance broadcast on ESPN+ starting at 7 p.m. MDT.
Collier, after a rough first round Monday morning, returned with renewed focus. He made two solid runs Tuesday, including a time of 4.7 seconds on his steer during the slack round. Collier said he learned from his initial performance, noting, “Today it was just going back to basics.” His efforts moved him from 21st to 11th place, and he now waits to see if he advances to the finals.
Smith, known for his no-nonsense approach, had two attempts on Tuesday. During his slack round, he drew a bull named Magic Hustle but was thrown off after a hard turn. His second ride on Quick Draw nearly qualified, with the clock stopping at 7.57 seconds. Smith’s high score in the event is 80.5, and he remains hopeful for a spot in the short go.
Chance’s first run Monday was successful, but her second was marked by an incident when her horse’s reins slipped over its neck near the second barrel. Despite the scare, Chance finished with a time of 13.90 seconds, placing her fourth overall heading into Wednesday’s final round. She expressed excitement about her upcoming run, saying, “We got to run twice in the slack, and now she will be fully prepared.”
Additionally, former Ranger Emily Fugate, a junior at Murray State, competed in breakaway roping for the first time at the CNFR. She scored a 2.1-second run during her first attempt but broke the barrier, finishing in 12.1 seconds. Fugate reflected on her performance, noting her excitement and determination to improve.
Fans can catch Chance’s final run Wednesday night on ESPN+ at 8 p.m. CDT. Updates on Ranger Rodeo and full results are available through the team’s social media channels and nwccrangers.com.
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