Seven to represent FSCC in national finals

Members and coaches of the Fort Scott Community College rodeo team who qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo are (from left): FSCC Assistant Rodeo Coach Cali Griffin, Trey Ahring, Mat Swaim, Colton Delgado, Cooper Belt, Wyatt Miller, Layne Graham, Cory Brown, and FSCC Head Rodeo Coach Chad Cross.

Fort Scott Community College

Members of the Fort Scott Community College Rodeo Team will compete at the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyo., June 9-17.

More than 400 students from universities and colleges across the United States will compete at the CNFR. Cooper Belt (steer wrestling), Cory Brown (bareback riding), Colton Delgado (bareback riding), Layne Graham (bareback riding), Wyatt Miller (team roping and calf roping), Mat Swaim (saddle bronc riding), and Trey Ahring (bull riding) will represent FSCC.

“It’s exciting to take this group of students to the national competition this year. We knew it would be a tough year for us to take a team, and this group really pulled together and motivated each other,” Chad Cross, FSCC head rodeo coach, said.

Going into the last rodeo of the season, the men’s team was in third place in the Central Plains Region. The weather that weekend ranged from snow to rain. Despite these challenges, the team persevered and earned the reserve championship title, qualifying them to advance to compete at the national level.

“The students had to work hard and push each other during the last few rodeos so that they could place in the top two teams to qualify,” Cross said. “I’m glad to see these students compete in Casper. It has truly been a pleasure to see them grow and achieve their goals.”