After a year of qualifying rodeos, long road trips and countless hours caring for livestock and practicing, Nebraska’s top high school rodeo athletes wrapped up the 2026 National High School Finals Rodeo with a Top-10 team finish, a national championship in trap shooting and several standout individual performances in Lincoln.
Competing against more than 1,700 contestants from across the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Mexico, Nebraska finished 10th in the overall team standings. The Nebraska boys placed 11th, the girls finished 12th, and the state claimed fourth in Division 2.
Nebraska also advanced several contestants to the Short Go, the championship round featuring the Top 20 competitors in each rodeo event.
Nebraska’s lone national champion came in the trap shooting competition, where Case Shane captured the title after posting a score of 208 following a shoot-off. Nebraska also placed three shooters among the Top 10, with Treyson Foral finishing seventh, Blaine Frizzell placing eighth and Ian Shane adding an 18th-place finish.
Nebraska’s highest rodeo event finish came from Callie Olson of Bloomfield, who earned a third-place finish in reined cow horse. Olson also added a 22nd-place finish in goat tying during the week.
Kinsey Walz of Ainsworth was among Nebraska’s most decorated competitors. Walz placed fourth in pole bending, tied for eighth in the All-Around Cowgirl standings and tied for 17th in reined cow horse. She also earned multiple American Quarter Horse Association honors. Her horse, Ima Slip a Hope (“Hope”), was named the AQHA Top Horse in Pole Bending and finished fifth in the AQHA Girls Horse of the Year standings.
Goat tying proved to be another strong event for Nebraska, with two competitors finishing among the national Top 10. Sophie Hruby of Hemingford placed fifth in the average and finished fourth in the All-Around Cowgirl standings, while JJ Sterkel of Merriman added a seventh-place finish. Both athletes are Nebraska natives who compete through the South Dakota High School Rodeo Association.
In pole bending, Nebraska placed two athletes among the nation’s best as Walz finished fourth and Maci Herrington of Bassett claimed fifth, separated by just 0.004 seconds.
Short Go qualifiers also included Kanin Heath of Minden, who finished eighth in bareback riding; Braxten Barner of Hershey, who placed 13th in boys cutting; and Laken Krogman of Valentine, who tied for 15th in saddle bronc riding.
Audrabell Werth of Hyannis represented Nebraska in the National High School Rodeo Queen Contest, finishing 14th overall.
Nebraska competitors also earned recognition through the AQHA Horse of the Year program. Kaddo Schrunk of Pender and his horse, JDS Joe Feature (“Turbo”), tied for fifth in the AQHA Boys Horse of the Year standings, while Turbo was also named the AQHA Top Horse in steer wrestling.
The National High School Finals Rodeo, held July 19-25 at the Sandhills Global Event Center in Lincoln, brought together the world’s top youth rodeo athletes after months of qualifying through state and provincial rodeo associations. In addition to competition, contestants participated in educational programs, leadership activities, scholarship opportunities and a variety of special events throughout the week.
Key Highlights
- Case Shane won the National High School Finals Rodeo trap shooting championship, while Nebraska placed three shooters in the Top 10.
- Nebraska finished 10th overall in the national team standings.
- Nebraska placed 11th in the boys team standings, 12th in the girls team standings and fourth in Division 2.
- Nebraska qualified six contestants for the Short Go championship round: Callie Olson (reined cow horse), Kinsey Walz and Maci Herrington (pole bending), Kanin Heath (bareback riding), Braxten Barner (boys cutting) and Laken Krogman (saddle bronc riding).
- Callie Olson (Bloomfield) earned Nebraska’s highest rodeo event finish with third in reined cow horse.
- Kinsey Walz (Ainsworth) finished fourth in pole bending, tied for eighth in the All-Around Cowgirl standings, and earned multiple AQHA honors, including AQHA Top Pole Bending Horse.
- Sophie Hruby (Hemingford) placed fifth in goat tying and fourth in the All-Around Cowgirl standings, while JJ Sterkel (Merriman) finished seventh in goat tying.
- Nebraska had two Top-5 finishers in pole bending: Kinsey Walz (4th) and Maci Herrington (5th).
- Nebraska competitors earned two AQHA Top Horse honors and two Top-5 finishes in the AQHA Horse of the Year standings.
- Additional Top-15 finishes included Braxten Barner (13th, boys cutting), Laken Krogman (T-15th, saddle bronc riding) and Audrabell Werth (14th, Queen Contest).
Coverage of the rodeo:
