Couch Run Paces Savage Storm in CNFR Finals

CASPER, Wyo. – Mason Couch's third-place finish in the steer wrestling highlighted Southeastern's pair of top five finishes in the finals of the College National Finals Rodeo on Saturday night in Casper, Wyo.
 
Couch, a native of Bronaugh, Mo., would save his best run of the weekend for the finals, posting a 4.2 second outing and finish 0.5 seconds off the leading time.
 
Tyler Griffin, a Stuart, Okla. native, supplied the second top-five finish after recording an 81-point ride in the bareback riding. His mark was a half-point behind a tie for second and four points behind the leading score of 85.
 
Gus Franzen and Luke Thrash each also posted top-eight finishes in their events.
 
Franzen, a native of Kearney, Neb., was on pace to post the best time in the finals and set a new arena record but would break the barrier and suffer a 10-second penalty, moving his time to 13.1 which was still good enough to finish eighth.
 
Thrash, a Bastrop, La., native, would also post an eighth-place finish in the bareback riding after posting a 77-point ride which was just 4.5 points out of second place.
 
Southeastern's men's team would finish with 240 points in 19^th place out of 49 scoring teams at the CNFR, while the women, despite not sending a competitor to the finals, would finish in a tie for 19^th as well with 60 points.