BUFFALO — The best high school rodeo athletes in Wyoming will gather in Buffalo beginning Thursday for the Wyoming High School Rodeo Association (WYHSRA) State Finals, where they’ll compete for a chance to represent the state at the National High School Finals Rodeo (NHSFR) in Rock Springs later this summer.

Several local competitors from the region will enter the event as strong contenders across a variety of events, with some ranked near or at the top of the state standings.

Sweetwater County

Green River’s Teague Goodman heads to Buffalo with high hopes in three events. He sits third in the state in steer wrestling with 92 points and will also compete in tie-down roping, where he’s ranked 12th, and team roping as a heeler with 19 points.

Farson’s Cooper Jones enters as the No. 6 in team roping as a head roper with 66 points and also qualified in tie-down roping, where he’s tallied 15 points. Taci Jones, also from Farson, will compete in breakaway roping (18 points) and goat tying (3 points).

Katherine Weese, another Farson competitor, is inside the top 20 in barrel racing with 25 points and also qualified in goat tying with 11.5.

Rock Springs’ Isaac Frandsen will be a top contender in light rifle, entering the weekend ranked No. 1 in the state with 56 points, and he also holds the second-best score in trap shooting with 46 points. In team roping, Griffin Romero represents Rock Springs as a heeler with 24 points.

Uinta County

Lyman’s Strat Youngberg will compete in bull riding, entering the finals with 9 points. Meanwhile, the Hootens, Brix and Stone, will both be shooting for a state title in two events.

Brix Hooten holds the top spot in trap shooting with 54 points and also sits just outside the top five in light rifle with 27 points. Stone Hooten is top five in light rifle with 30 points and has also earned six points in trap shooting.

Braxton Condos, also of Lyman, will team rope with Manila’s Gradie Pendleton. They have 21 points together, and Condos will also compete in tie-down roping, where he’s picked up 4 points this season.

Sublette County

Big Piney’s Cael and Hays Espenscheid enter as state leaders in team roping, tied with 125 points. They’re also top contenders in tie-down roping — Cael ranks fourth with 75 points, while Hays is sixth with 63 points.

Jace Bowles enters the finals as the No. 7 team roper as a head roper with 57 points.

Kaleb Miller, also of Big Piney, will be one to watch in both boys cutting (second with 122.5 points) and reined cow horse (second with 114.5 points).

From Boulder, Kloe Nichols leads the state in barrel racing with 120 points and is also ranked 16th in breakaway roping. She’ll look to defend her No. 1 spot and qualify for nationals in her final runs of the season.

Manila Competitor

Gradie Pendleton of Manila, Utah, will compete in barrel racing, breakaway roping, and team roping, pairing up with Lyman’s Condos. Pendleton has earned a few points in breakaway and team roping and will look to improve their standings at state.