FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                          November 29, 2006

FORMER RANGER COWBOYS TO COMPETE IN NATIONAL FINALS RODEO

            Four former members of the Ranger rodeo team at Northwestern Oklahoma State University will be competing in the Professional Cowboys Rodeo Association’s National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in Las Vegas beginning Thursday night (Nov. 30).

            They are Stockton Graves, Newkirk; Shannon Frascht, Alva; Nick Sartain, Yukon; and Jhett Johnson, Casper, Wyo.

The NFR features the top 15 money earners in each event in a 10-day competition that ends Saturday, Dec. 9.  Standings are determined by how much money each cowboy wins during the year in each event in some 700 PRCA rodeos in 41 states and four Canadian provinces.

The NFR posts nearly $5 million total prize money for the 10 rounds. First place in each round in each event is worth more than $16,000 and prize money is paid for the first six places. The average or “aggregate” (the best total times or scores for the 10 rounds) will pay approximately $41,000 for first place and lesser amounts through eighth place. Money earned during the NFR is added to that earned during the regular season to determine the year’s champion in each event.

            Graves, a 2002 graduate, is competing for the third straight year in the steer wrestling event. At the start of the NFR, Graves was in 13th place in his event with earnings of $62,370.

            Frascht, a 1990 graduate, will be competing as a heeler with his partner Sartain in the team roping event. Sartain attended Northwestern from 2001 to 2003. The duo is in 11th place with earnings of $55,853 each.

            Johnson, a student at Northwestern from 1989 to 1991, also qualified as a heeler in the team roping. From Casper, Wyo., Johnson qualified ninth with earnings of $58,250. He will be roping with Travis Tryan of Billings, Mont.

            Frascht, Sartain and Johnson are all making their first appearances at the NFR.

            “I am very proud of each of these young men,” said Tim Kolb, rodeo coach. “It really shows the quality of competitors we have going through our rodeo program here at Northwestern. I’m sure that in the future, we’ll have even more former Rangers competing in the NFR.”

            The NFR will be broadcast on ESPN2 starting with Round 1 at 11 p.m., Thursday. Round 2 will air at the same time on Friday night with Round 3 at 8 p.m., Saturday, and Round 4 at 8 p.m., Sunday.

            A complete television schedule, along with round-by-round results, biographies of competitors and other information, is available at http://sports.espn.go.com/prorodeo/index?page=NFR.

-NW-

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