All five members of the Moffat Country Junior High Rodeo Team qualified for the national finals in Gallup, N.M., June 24.

The Colorado state championships were held the weekend of May 25-27 in Monte Vista and participants had to place in the top four in each category in order to qualify for nationals.

Eighth grader Trent Vernon qualified in the breakaway roping and team roping, while his team roping partner and fellow eighth grader Cutter Barnes also qualified in goat tying.

Eighth grader Dusty Taylor won the state rodeo in calf roping while qualifying for nationals in shoot dogging, ribbon roping and team roping. Garret Uptain, the fourth eighth grader on the team, qualified in bull riding.

The final member of the team, sixth-grader Kasen Brennise, qualified in the breakaway roping as well.

The national rodeo event in Gallup starts June 24 and lasts through the 30th. According to Moffat County High School and Junior High Rodeo coach Janice Edwards, the national event brings in competitors from across the U.S. and some other countries as well, such as Australia.

The Moffat County competitors will now be scored as part of a statewide Colorado team for the Gallup, N.M. rodeo.

Sea Sharks fare well at 1st swim meet of the season

The Craig Sea Sharks swam well at the team’s first meet of the season at the Western Rio Blanco Recreation Center, 611 S. Stanolind Ave. in Rangely last weekend.

The Sea Sharks brought 17 swimmers to the event, and swam against the Rangely Hurricanes, Steamboat Springs Swim Team and Battlement Mesa Sea Turtles.

With several swimmers competing in their first ever meet, the Sea Sharks showed a marked improvement from last year’s first meet.

Burke Henderson, 10, was the biggest winner from the Craig team, garnering the high points trophy, awarded to the swimmer who scored the most points in her age group. Henderson scored 112 points in the Girls 10 and younger age group.

The Sea Sharks had eight different swimmers post times fast enough to meet the Western Slope Championships qualifying standards. Those eight swimmers qualified for the WSC in 17 different events.

Sea Sharks coach Meghan Francone, who also coaches the Moffat County High School swim teams, was thrilled with the team’s results from its first meet. She said the team’s concentration on stroke and turn technique has made a difference for her swimmers from last year.

The Sea Sharks practice Monday through Friday from 7-9:30 a.m. Their next meet is June 15-17 at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction.

Soccer Skills Clinic hosted at Sawer’s Soccer Park this weekend

Bill Sawer, 69, will be hosting a soccer skills clinic for free Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon.

The clinic will be held at Sawer’s Soccer Park, 2303 W. First St., and will focus on ball control skills like passing and trapping the ball with all parts of the body. Sawer also said depending on the numbers that there could be a game near the end of the camp.

Sawer has been involved with soccer as a coach or referee for 30 years. He has coached age groups from five-year-olds to college level, including at Colorado Northwestern Community College.

Sawer said the clinic is to help prepare kids for the Parks and Recreation youth soccer leagues, which begin play June 18.

There is no charge for the one-day event. It is open to all boys and girls from ages five to 14.

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