KALISPELL — Mitch Detton endured a long wait to return to the National High School Rodeo Finals.
His patience paid off this weekend with a sweet reward.
The Great Falls native and future Montana State rodeo cowboy, along with his brother Cole Detton, secured the all-around cowboy title at the Montana High School Rodeo Association State Finals. This earned him a spot in nationals in three events: steer wrestling, tie-down roping, and team roping with Walker Story.
Detton clinched the championship round win in steer wrestling with a time of 4.55 seconds on Saturday, highlighting his successful weekend. He will now advance to the nationals in Rock Springs.
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After missing out on nationals for two consecutive years, Detton expressed relief and excitement about his achievements this year. He credited his friends and family for their support and dedication in helping him reach the national level once again.
Detton led the season all-around cowboy leaderboard heading into the state finals and maintained his momentum, winning the first go of tiedown roping with a time of 10.45. He comfortably made the top-16 cutoff for the championship rounds in all three events and secured his spot in nationals.
With strong performances throughout the week, Detton finished at the top of the leaderboard in team roping, tiedown roping, and steer wrestling, accumulating 528 points in the all-around standings.
As Detton prepares for nationals, he expressed his gratitude for the opportunity and his aspirations for a world championship.
On the other hand, Aspen Swenson from Huntley claimed the season-long all-around cowgirl title with 604.5 points. Although she did not qualify for nationals in any event, she will be present to support her brother AJ Swenson in tie-down roping at the national meet.
The Swenson siblings also delivered a solid performance in team roping and are gearing up for the National Little Britches Rodeo Association Finals. Aspen, a full-time rodeo athlete, expressed her joy and appreciation for her horses and support system.
The article also lists the championship round winners and national qualifiers for various events at the state finals.
For more information, email Briar Napier at briar.napier@406mtsports.com or follow him on Twitter at @BriarNapier.
