The Fort Scott Community College Rodeo Team has a lot to celebrate. By finishing at the top of the Central Plains Region the men's team has automatically qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo. Going to the CNFR is a huge accomplishment involving an incredible amount of hard work and determination. The CNFR will run from June 10-16 in Casper, Wyoming. FSCC will take a six man team to the Finals. Representing Fort Scott at the CNFR this year includes three bareback riders: Yance Day, Blaine Kaufman, Tyler Pasour; two bull riders: Chelse Day, David King; and a saddle bronc rider: Jade Blackwell.

The Central Plains region consists of 20 different college rodeo teams, including two and four-year colleges. This was only the third time that the Central Plains Region was won by a two-year school and both previous times were also won by FSCC. Even looking at that impressive history, this has been a banner year for the FSCC Rodeo team. For the first time in FSCC history, the Greyhounds won the region by more than 1,000 points. Other accomplishments made by the team this year include: for the first time ever, FSCC finished the season with all three top competitors in one event, bareback riding; actually, FSCC won the bareback riding competition at every one of the ten rodeos. In addition, this year marked the best improvement from one year to another for the women's team.

Most participants in the Finals are college juniors and seniors, so for sophomores and freshmen to even qualify is remarkable. Approximately 45 contestants will compete in each event and 45 teams will be competing for the national team title. The finalists are the elite from the nation. In the tough Central Plains Region, getting qualified is a huge accomplishment. All participants will compete in three rounds and the top 10 contestants after three rounds will compete again in a short round.

Coach Cross is thrilled with how well his team has performed this year. Cross said, "I am so proud of what a great team we have. Obviously they are blessed with athletic ability but more importantly they are an outstanding group of genuine people." The finalists give a lot of credit to the FSCC rodeo program, especially the FSCC coaches who are willing to help out anytime of the day and provide a good atmosphere.

For more information on the FSCC rodeo program, contact Cross at 620-223-2700, ext. 7020. For more information on the Finals, visit the College National Finals Rodeo website at cnfr.com.