ALVA, Okla. – The four months that led up to the fall semester may have been the toughest of Savannah Greenfield's young life.
There were painful days. There were difficult days. There were days she didn't want to do the work necessary but did it anyway. She had good days and bad, all the things that come with a significant athletic injury, but she persevered. After suffering a serious knee injury tying goats in April, she underwent surgery to repair her ACL, MCL and meniscus.
That was just the starting point; the hard work followed. While building the muscles, ligaments and tendons in her leg, she was also reforming her mind and her mental approach to sports. Spending a summer – typically the busiest time in the rodeo industry – away from the game she loved created a hunger to return to action. Twelve weeks after surgery, she was back.
"At the first two rodeos at Colby (Kansas) and Durant (Oklahoma), I hit a barrel to place – I hit the second barrel to win the long round at Colby, and I hit a second barrel at Durant to place at least second or third," said Greenfield, a junior at Northwestern Oklahoma State University from Lakeview, Oregon. "I knew at Stillwater I had to keep them all up."
She did, rounding the cloverleaf pattern at the Oklahoma State University rodeo in 15.88 seconds to place in the first go-round and secure her spot in the 12-lady championship-round field. That's where she blazed a new trail, stopping the clock in 15.32 seconds to win the final performance and the barrel racing title while riding Bently, a sorrel gelding.
"I was nervous coming into the short round, and lo and behold, I ran the fastest time of the rodeo," she said. "It was honestly a pretty special win after having knee surgery in May and working all summer really hard. To get back to be able to be released to ride and rope at 12 weeks was unbelievable; I think that's pretty soon to be back from knee surgery, but (noted rodeo surgeon) Tandy Freeman made it possible.
"It was really special to be able to win it."
She was the top cowgirl on a successful Northwestern women's team over this past weekend. The Rangers finished second in Stillwater, which provided a glimpse of what coach Cali Griffin has been seeing from the athletes in her second year.
"I talked last week about the women's team just being different, and I think it's showing in the best way," Griffin said. "We have a really young group of girls, and they're on their way to doing big things. The expectation of what that group brings to the arena is high, and they are really starting to build on each other's successes.
"Savannah has fought hard to get back from hurting her knee. I know it's been a battle, but to see her get a win again finally, and in that fashion, was pretty cool."
The Northwestern women were also aided by a couple of second-place finishes. Sophomore Payton Dingman of Pryor, Oklahoma, placed in both rounds to be the runner-up in goat-tying, and Brylee Zook of Garnett, Kansas, won the first round of breakaway roping with a 2.0-second run, finished tied for second in the short round to earn the silver medal.
Another breakaway roper, Lexi Graham of Lake Luzerne, New York, placed in the opener, while goat-tiers Trinity Kruse of Pretty Prairie, Kansas, and Bleu Hall of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, qualified for the championship round without placing.
"We all got together (last) Tuesday and turned in some team and personal goals," Dingman said of the women's team. "I think all the girls have done a really good job of stepping up, and I feel like we're a team more than ever. We've had a lot of ladies in the short round, and our girls have really been working hard. It's paying off, and it shows.
"It was so exciting to see this weekend that we even had a freshman in the short-go in breakaway. We also had girls that transferred here, and they're making the short-go at every rodeo. It's really fun to see, and it's a great team to be part of."
Many people are noticing. Even as a sophomore, Dingman is showing off some key skills that come in handy with the program.
"It's been so fun seeing her develop from a freshman trying to make her mark, to be a true leader on the team," Griffin said of Dingman, who qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo this past June. "I've put her in some leadership roles this year and asked her to step up, and she has. She's developed the ability to control her emotions more and be a player every time. It's fun to watch."
It's also exiting to see the Bulldogging Capital of College Rodeo continue to excel, with transfer student Nathan Duvall leading the way for the Northwestern men. Duvall, who comes from the famous steer wrestling family in eastern Oklahoma, stopped the clock in 5.0 seconds to finish fourth in the opening round. He then posted a 4.0-second run, the fastest of the rodeo, to win the short-round and the aggregate title.
"This means quite a bit," said Duvall, a junior from Henryetta, Oklahoma, who qualified for the CNFR in June while competing at Conners State College in Warner, Oklahoma. "I am just trying to get me back to the college finals this year."
Riding his 10-year-old palomino Turnpike, Duvall moved into the Central Plains Region lead with 325 points. He understands the reputation Northwestern offers in rodeo, especially steer wrestling. Two Rangers – J.D. Struxness in 2016 and Bridger Anderson in 2019 – have won intercollegiate titles in bulldogging.
"The biggest reason I went here was just so I can bulldog a bunch, and that's what they do here," he said, noting that the defending region champion, Emmett Edler of State Center, Iowa, is the Rangers' assistant coach who is also competing this season as a graduate student. "I'm able to get my hands on a bunch of steers.
"Having someone like Emmett helps a lot by having somebody there pushing you all the time."
Duvall was joined in the championship by fellow bulldoggers Tydon Tsosie of Crownpoint, New Mexico, who was 4.4 seconds to win the opening round but failed to place in the finale, and Payden Nusser of Alva. Riley Smith of Poteau, Oklahoma, scored 66 points in the long round to advance to the short-go in saddle bronc riding.
Heeler Colter Snook of Dodge City – roping with Dexton Hoelting of Western Oklahoma State College – finished fifth in both rounds and the team roping average. Header Kendyll Miller of Hennessey made the final round while roping with Cole Beasley of Southeastern Oklahoma State University.
Every rodeo is just part of the process. The goal for each competitor is to finish the 10-event season among the top three in the standings to qualify for the college finals. Griffin is hoping the women's team and the men finish among the top two in the region to advance as a group.
"My goal is to make the college finals, and my goal is to win the year-end titles in the barrel racing and the breakaway roping," Greenfield said. I've set a lot of goals for myself since being here, and I'm working toward them every day."
