Senior Tyler Jones led the Fresno State Bulldoggers club rodeo team for the fourth consecutive season at the College National Finals Rodeo from June 14 to 20 in Casper, Wyoming.
Capping one of the program’s most accomplished careers, the Friant native placed 16th in team roping (header) with partner Ty Jacobs of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The duo posted a combined preliminary-round time of 14.7 seconds after runs of 7.8 and 6.9 seconds.
The duo entered the event ranked ninth nationally and first in the region based on season results.
Jones also placed 24th in steer wrestling with a combined time of 15.9 seconds, highlighted by a 5.5-second third-round run.
Jones recorded his best national finishes in both events since making his first appearance in 2023. Only one other Fresno State athlete has competed at four national events since 2004, all-around champion Colton Campbell, who earned bids from 2016 to 2019.
Fresno State’s runner-up finish in the West Coast Region qualified five additional student-athletes for nationals, tying the program’s highest number of men’s qualifiers in recent records, and included:
- Junior Jase Dewey (Riverdale), 18th in tie-down roping.
- Junior Garrett Mathias (Waterford), 27th in team roping heeler.
- Junior Tanner Kerr (Red Bluff), 29th in tie-down roping.
- Freshman Collin Snyder (Wilton), 33rd in team roping heeler.
- Senior Brayden Liberio (Caliente), 18th in bull riding.
Kerr and Liberio were national advancers in 2025, and the other men’s entries made their debuts.
Senior Kendall Patterson (Clovis) made her national debut for the women’s team, placing 33rd in team roping (header) with a best run of 6.6 seconds in the final preliminary round.
Competitors qualified by finishing among the top three in their events across 11 collegiate regions and final season rankings.
On-demand replays are available on ESPN3 through mid-July. A recap of the final round will air on ESPN+ at 5 and 6 p.m. Aug. 18 and at 10 and 11 a.m. Aug. 20.
The Bulldoggers have been coached since the 2017-18 season by Uhuru Adem, a two-time collegiate national saddle-bronc qualifier for Fresno State. In that span, the men’s team enjoyed a No. 13 finish in 2022, and the women’s team placed 19th that season.
Founded in 1946, the program officially became a club in 1949, the same year the first collegiate national finals were held in San Francisco. Follow the Fresno State Bulldoggers on Facebook and Instagram for team updates and information.
