Nebraska Ag Connection - University Rodeo Association has Mid-Season Momentum

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University Rodeo Association has Mid-Season Momentum
Nebraska Ag Connection - 12/09/2016

2016 has been a banner year for the University of Nebraska Rodeo Association.

The team recently celebrated its 2015-16 season at an award ceremony held in Lincoln. Those honored included Reed Kraeger (Weeping Water), for his reserve regional championship in steer wrestling, and team ropers Logan Dibbern (Amherst) and Whitley McBride (Ainsworth) for their regional championship. Dibbern was also recognized as a Scholar American, along with Lindsay Adamson (Cody) and Wade Overturf (Sutton). The Scholar American is college rodeo's equivalent of an Academic All-American.

The 2016/2017 season features 10 rodeos. In mid-season standings just released by the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, the men's rodeo team sits third in the Great Plains Region, with the women's team in sixth. Several Huskers are also faring well in individual events. Kraeger, Travis Kester (Clearwater) and Dibbern are competing strong in men's bulldogging. Dibbern is also in second place in the team roping competition, along with teammate and team captain McBride. On the women's team Adamson and Torie Opela (Stapleton) are in the top 10 of the breakaway roping standings.

A highlight of the season thus far has been the men's team winning the team title at the Iowa State Rodeo. This was the first time that the men's team has won a team championship since 1986.

"It has been a really good year for college rodeo in Nebraska," noted University of Nebraska Rodeo Coach Bump Kraeger. "Every Nebraska school in our region is leading an event, we have three of the top five among men's teams and four of the top six among the women's teams.

Mid-Plains Community College leads the regional standings among men's teams, with the University of Nebraska, third and Hastings College in fifth.

The spring portion of the 2016/2017 season begins with the Jackrabbit Stampede in Brookings, S.D. The University of Nebraska hosts its home rodeo April 14-15 at the Lancaster Event Center. Following the spring rodeos, the top two teams in each region will advance to the College National Finals Rodeo in June in Casper, Wyo.

Follow the University of Nebraska Rodeo Association on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/unlrodeo.

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