Casper, Wyoming -- Eight Southeastern competitors are set to open their chases for a National Championship when the College National Finals Rodeo kick off June 12-18 in Casper, Wyo.

Southeastern's men's team is coming off a Central Plains region championship and as a result will send six to Casper, while two women's competitors advanced to the CNFR after the team posted a third-place regional finish.

The full schedule for Southeastern's CNFR runs is listed at the bottom of this story.

Among the team standings the men's team earned an individual region championship in the bareback riding with Tyler Griffin, and reserve all around championship with Garrett "Hot Shot" Elmore.

They will be joined at the CNFR by Luke Thrash, McKade Wickett, Gus Franzen, and Mason Couch.

The women's team picked up a pair of regional championships, with Martie Shockley taking the title in the goat tying while Hannah Hughes won the breakaway roping, earning both a trip to Casper.

Franzen and Elmore will each be making return trips to the event.

Griffin a freshman from Stuart, Okla., Will open his run in the bareback riding with a first run at the matinee on June 12, before making a second run on June 13 during slack and a third run on June 15 during the 7 p.m. performance. During the season he would lead the way on the men's team, winning the region bareback riding championship while accumulating the most points of any single individual. He qualified for 9-out-of-10 finals this season, finishing in the top-two spots at half of the competitions. Griffin turned in his best showing at Colby CC where he won the bareback riding competition. This will be his first time qualifying to travel to Casper, Wyo. Griffin competes outside of college rodeo in the PRCA and has qualified to the Prairie Circuit Finals in the bareback riding.

Elmore, a junior from Springer, Okla., will compete in both the steer wrestling and the tie down roping, making runs in the tie down during slack on June 13 and 14, before making his third run June 16 during the night performance. His steer wrestling runs are set for June 13 & 14 during slack with a June 14 performance for his final run. He qualified as the reserve regional champion in the all-around region last season for Western Oklahoma State, and was able to repeat that effort this season for SE. Elmore qualified to four short rounds, winning the championship in the tie down at Oklahoma State. His overall best showing was at the last rodeo of the season at Oklahoma Panhandle State where he captured all three timed event titles which includes the tie down roping, steer wrestling, and team roping events, giving him the Men's All-Around championship. His efforts at OPSU catapulted him into 2nd place in the all-around standings. Elmore will compete in the tie down roping and steer wrestling at the CNFR this year hoping to make a repeat short round appearance.

Franzen, a junior from Kearney, Neb., will make his first steer wrestling run on June 13 during slack with his second run coming on June 14 in slack. He will finish his initial runs on June 17 during the night performance. He qualified last year on the Central Plains Region Reserve Championship men's team, and competed in the steer wrestling at the CNFR. He qualified to the top 12 in the steer wrestling during the CNFR short round, ending the season with a 7th place finish. This season Franzen was able to qualify in 7-out-of-10 short rounds with his best placing at Northwestern Oklahoma State rodeo where he won the steer wrestling event. He finished the season splitting 3rd /4th place in the steer wrestling region standings. He also competes outside of college rodeo in the PRCA and has qualified to the Prairie Circuit Finals in the steer wrestling last season.

Thrash, a freshman from Bastrop, La., is one of the first SE competitors to run as he has a matinee appearance in the bareback riding on June 12. That is followed by a June 14 slack ride and a June 16 performance appearance. He ended the year as the reserve champion in the Central Plains Region in bareback riding. He competed in nine rodeos, qualifying to the finals at seven competitions. Thrash was able to gain a lot ground in the standings winning three of the last four competitions of the season. He competes outside college rodeo in the PRCA and has qualified to the Southeastern Circuit finals in the bareback riding.

Wickett, a recently graduated senior from Muldrow, Okla., will make his first tie down roping run on June 13 during slack, with his second coming during slack on June 14. His final run is slated during the night performance on June 15. He will be making his first trip to the CNFR this year in the tie down roping. He qualified to half of the competitions with top ten finishes this season. Wickett ended the year in fifth place in the All-Around standings, fourth in the tie down roping and ninth in the team roping heading standings. He turned in his best finish this season at his home rodeo, winning the men's all around by finishing third in the tie down and fourth in the team roping.

Couch, a junior from Fort Scott, Kan., will open his CNFR with a June 13 run during slack, with his second run coming during slack on June 14. He will close out the initial runs with a June 15 night performance appearance. He is also making his first trip to the CNFR in the steer wrestling competition. He and Franzen tied for third place in the region standings in the event. Mason had six top-10 finishes this season with Fort Hays State being his best showing where he won the all-around Championship by taking first in the tie down and third in the steer wrestling.

On the women's side, both Hughes and Shockley closed the regular season strong with a great last rodeo at OPSU, with both coming out on top in their events.

Hughes, a native of from Fort Scott, Kan., opens her breakaway efforts on June 13 during slack and will make her second run during slack on June 14. She will finish her runs on June 16 during the night performance. She ended last season in the top five in the region standings in the breakaway roping, barely missing the CNFR. This year she would go into the last competition sitting in fourth place before posting a great final performance which qualified her to the CNFR by winning the region breakaway roping title. She was able to post four top 10 finishes with her best showings at Garden City CC and OPSU where she won the breakaway championships.

Shockley, a native of Alma, Ark., will make her first run in the goat tying on June 13 during slack, with her second run set for June 14 during slack. She will make her third run on June 16 during the evening performance. She will be making her first trip to the CNFR this year in the goat tying. She went into the last competition of the season in second place in the region and when the dust settled she had won the region goat tying championship. Shockley turned in seven top 10 finishes, winning second at four competitions with her best outing being at her last competition at OPSU where she won the women's all-around championship thanks to a second-place finish in the goat tying and 4th in the barrel racing.

Storm Men's team was able to win 1st at 4 competitions this season, CCC, NWOSU, Ft. Hays, and OPSU, en route to a region championship. The men's team best outing was the last competition of the year OPSU. The women's team finished in the top two at half the competitions with their best outing being at OPSU as well.

Southeastern CNFR Competitor Schedule:

Competitor   Event    Run Section    Timeslot

Luke Thrash - Bareback Riding 1 2 June 12, Matinee (1 p.m.)
Bareback Riding 2 3 June 14, Slack (7 a.m.)
Bareback Riding 3 3 June 16, Performance (7 p.m.)

Tyler Griffin - Bareback Riding 1 3 June 12, Matinee (1 p.m.)
Bareback Riding 2 3 June 13, Slack (7 a.m.)
Bareback Riding 3 2 June 15, Performance (7 p.m.)

McKade Wickett - Tie Down Roping 1 1 June 13, Slack (7 a.m.)
Tie Down Roping 2 1 June 14, Slack (7 a.m.)
Tie Down Roping 3 2 June 15, Performance (7 p.m.)

Garrett Elmore - Tie Down Roping 1 1 June 13, Slack (7 a.m.)
Tie Down Roping 2 1 June 14, Slack (7 a.m.)
Tie Down Roping 3 3 June 16, Performance (7 p.m.)
Steer Wrestling 1 1 June 13, Slack (7 a.m.)
Steer Wrestling 2 2 June 14, Slack (7 a.m.)
Steer Wrestling 3 1 June 14, Performance (7 p.m.)

Mason Couch - Steer Wrestling 1 1 June 13, Slack (7 a.m.)
Steer Wrestling 2 2 June 14, Slack (7 a.m.)
Steer Wrestling 3 2 June 15, Performance (7 p.m.)

Gus Franzen - Steer Wrestling 1 1 June 13, Slack (7 a.m.)
Steer Wrestling 2 2 June 14, Slack (7 a.m.)
Steer Wrestling 3 4 June 17, Performance (7 p.m.)

Hannah Hughes - Breakaway Roping 1 1 June 12, Matinee (1 p.m.)
Breakaway Roping 2 2 June 14, Slack (7 a.m.)
Breakaway Roping 3 3 June 16, Performance (7 p.m.)

Martie Shockley - Goat Tying 1 1 June 13, Slack (7 a.m.)
Goat Tying 2 2 June 14, Slack (7 a.m.)
Goat Tying 3 3 June 16, Performance (7 p.m.)