POCATELLO - When the announcer called Daysha Hulme's name as the All-Around Cowgirl of the Year, her mouth opened in surprise.

She immediately hugged teammate Shanna Nielson, who was named the runner-up. Then, while standing next to a new saddle and posing for pictures, Hulme's eyes began to glaze over with tears.

The announcement, made during an awards ceremony at Bannock County Fairgrounds, closed out the Idaho High School Rodeo Finals.

"I didn't have any idea," she said afterward, with a grin. "I met my goal for the past four years."

Both Nielson and Hulme earned a trip to the National High School Rodeo Finals, placing second and third in goat tying, respectively.

Bliss' Wes Kerr was named Hulme's male-counterpart, the All-Around Cowboy of the Year.

Earlier Saturday afternoon, a pair of Pocatello team ropers, Pace Freed and RJ Stopka, stopped their horses, suspending the calf between them and drawing cheers from the local crowd. The clock displayed 8.01 seconds.

But the cleanest and quickest run of the day was 0.04 seconds better than the Poky pair's.

The pair entered Saturday's Top 20 in second place, but still more than five seconds off the leaders, Tyler and Casey Jones, who won the event. Soda Spring's Trent and Kenny Hunsaker took fifth, just one spot short of making the National High School Rodeo Finals.

Blackfoot's Dexter VanOrden became the only southeast Idaho athlete to claim a championship. VanOrden dominated the steer wrestling competition all week, recording a 3-run time of 14.65 seconds. Cokeville's Jade Pope took fourth in the event.

Showing perhaps the most tenacity of the week, Preston's Hugh Geddes took two different reride options in bareback riding. For the effort, he was rewarded with a day-high score of 70. Geddes took third in the event overall.

Meanwhile, Malad's Will Wakely was thrown from his bull on Saturday. But that was more an indication of the difficulty presented by the bulls, rather than Wakely's ability. All but two competitors failed to stay on all eight seconds, and Wakely's previous two rides earned him enough points for fourth place. Teammate Brandon Wallentine took third.

District Four teammates Shila Poole, Jessi Wadsworth and Morgan Pierce also claimed berths to nationals.

Poole, of Shelley, earned second place in pole bending after a day-best 20.883-second run. Her teammate Corey Price, of Pocatello, came into the Top 20 leading the event, but grazed a pole in her final outing that put her out of contention.

Wadsworth, of Shelley, took third in breakaway roping, scoring a total time of 13.13. Pierce, of Sterling, took fourth in goat tying, behind Hulme and Nielson.

Lars Jensen, of Ovid, also qualified for nationals, placing fourth in calf roping.

No southeast Idaho competitors placed in the top four in barrel racing, saddle bronc riding, or cow cutting.