Montana State's Tayla Moeykens, Jaden Whitman earn third-round wins at CNFR

(Editor’s note: Montana State Athletics release.)

CASPER, Wyo. — Tayla Moeykens posted the best barrel racing run of the week, finishing as winner of the third go-round and setting up a showdown between two national champions in Saturday’s championship round.

The Bobcat senior took the third round with a mark of 13.70 and enters Saturday’s finals with 41.72 seconds on three runs. West Alabama’s defending national champion Taycie Matthews leads the competition with 14.66 on three, with the final run added to the first three to find the 2024 CNFR.

Four other Bobcats enter Saturday’s championship go in good standing. Trav Johnson is currently fourth in the steer wrestling with teammate Jaden Whitman fifth. Wyatt Jensen and Bode Spring are tied for sixth in tie-down roping.

The event begins at 7 pm MT at the Ford Wyoming Center in Casper. The event is available on ESPN3.

Along with Moeykens’ third round title, Whitman captured the go in steer wrestling, and Trav Johnson finished sixth. Wyatt Jensen was seventh in calf roping, and Bode Spring 14th. Monte Bailey took sixth in bronc riding, Meghan McGinley tied for 12th in breakaway, and Alexis McDonald finished 13th in barrel racing.