Besides riding and roping, Nebraska's goat-tying champion had a few more plans for her second National High School Finals Rodeo (NHSFR) trip to Wyoming.
Herman cowgirl Laney Hoier said she'd go to a dance or two in Rock Springs and spend some cash. A massive trade show typically accompanies the finals rodeo.
“I've been saving up my money from working this summer and I want to go buy some shiny stuff,” Hoier said with a smile July 10.
The cowgirl certainly earned it with her week of performances, finishing sixth out of 189 competitors from across the country, Canada, Mexico and Australia in the goat-tying average. She earned the top finish of Washington County's qualifiers — Hailey O'Daniel, Erika Cruikshank and Morgan Shaner — too.
Hoier finished three NHSFR goat-tying runs in a combined 23.18 seconds, which was just 2.13 out of first place. The Tekamah-Herman student was eighth out of 20 qualified cowgirls during Saturday's final go-round. She clocked in at 8.13 seconds after putting together a 7.28-second run Friday for a performance win. The latter run was the fifth-best of any goat-tier during the second go-round.
Hoier also competed in the breakaway roping event in Wyoming, taking 75th out of 135 competitors to record a time. While she missed her first attempt early in the week, the cowgirl was successful in her second, clocking in at 3.58 seconds for fifth during her Thursday rodeo performance.
Going into the week-longrodeo, Hoier said she entered her second NHSFR a lot more confident than her first.
“I just hope it works out in my favor, pretty much,” she said.
It, on more than one occasion, did.
Cruikshank, meanwhile, earned 30th overall out of 195 cowgirls in the pole bending and 70th out of 202 in the finals rodeo's barrel racing. The Arlington High School student-athlete finished with two-run times of 42.194 and 36.477 seconds, respectively.
Notably, Cruikshank was fifth in pole bending during her Thursday performance, clocking in at 20.89 seconds. Her fastest barrel racing run was good for 12th Saturday in 18.201.
O'Daniel's best barrel racing run was Saturday, too. She finished as the morning's runner-up, clocking in with a 17.627 run.
Overall, the Arlington cowgirl was 50th out of 202 barrel racers in the average. Her first run took 18.4 seconds on July 14.
O'Daniel also finished 111th out of 195 cowgirls in pole bending. Her fastest run took 22.035 seconds and was good for 18th in the Tuesday performance.
The Fort Calhoun marksman, Shaner, finished within the top half of competitors in the NHSFR's trapshooting competition, too. He shot 92 of the 100 targets he aimed at Thursday at the Sweetwater Trap Club for 52nd.
Team Montana's Austin Ward, however, finished first out of 147 competitors during the long round with a 100-for-100 showing.
