The 2014 National Junior High Finals Rodeo got underway Sunday, and it features five youth from Laramie in competition this week.

The five junior high students are McKenna Clingman, Kirby Hales, Alexis Manley, Garrett Nunn and Brooke Worman. They are part of the Wyoming team at the 2014 NJHFR that features around 900 competitors and is being held at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, IA.

Junior High Division students compete in Barrel Racing, Pole Bending, Goat Tying, Breakaway Roping, Tie-Down Roping, Chute Dogging, Team Roping, Ribbon Roping and Junior Bull Riding. There is also a rifle shooting competition at the NJHFR.

With the exception of the rifle shoot, each competitor has two rounds in their event. The top 20 contestants advance to the finals on Saturday evening, June 28. The national champions are based on their time over the three rounds, after the finals.

From Laramie, Clingman and Manley are in two events apiece. McKenna is in the goat tying and team roping, while Alexis is in the breakaway roping and goat tying.

Hales is participating in the boys breakaway roping; Nunn is in the rifle shoot; and Worman competes in goat tying.

In action so far from Iowa, Manley won her performance in breakaway roping last night with a time of 2.37. That is good for second in the first round, with only a 2.29 ahead of her. She is also sitting fifth in the Rookie All-Around Cowgirl standings.

Clingman posted a time of 9.94 in her first round of goat tying. She was third in the Sunday evening performance and is 13thoverall.

Finally, Hales had a time of 4.56 in his first round of breakaway roping. He finished 13th in the Sunday performance and is presently outside the top 25.

In the team standings, Wyoming is 12th overall. The girls are ninth and the boys are 18th.

On today’s schedule, Nunn will compete in the rifle shoot; Clingman has her first round in team roping; while Manley and Worman compete for the first time in the goat tying.

The first round concludes after Wednesday morning’s performance. The second round starts Wednesday evening and continues through the morning performance on Saturday.

Some of the information courtesy of Myron Hales and www.nhsra.com

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