ST. GEORGE — McKenna Coronado was on a mission last week at the National High School Rodeo finals in Wyoming.
“I was a little disappointed last year,” she said of her national finals. “This year I wanted to win it all.”
Mission accomplished.
The Kanarraville cowgirl came away with two national championships, including the all-round girls title.
In addition to the all-around title, she also won the cutting horse division and placed in two other events, pole bending and barrel racing.
“Winning two national titles was awesome and placing first in cutting was very special,” McKenna Coronado said.
The cutting competition may be her best event because she comes by it naturally. Her parents, Mike and Becky, raise and train cutting horses on their ranch.
McKenna Coronado was fully prepared for the finals this year, taking six horses to the national finals.
“I had four for each event and two backups in case one got hurt,” she said.
As it turned out, that was a good plan because her barrel horse injured a leg during the second go-around of the weeklong event.
McKenna Coronado will be a senior at Cedar High School this fall and will have a chance to compete again at the national finals next year.
Her strong performance was helped by Kaytlyn Miller’s 10th place overall finish, giving the Utah team the girls team title over Texas.
Miller, of Dammeron Valley, placed in breakaway roping and goat tying.
Hurricane’s Kash Cattoor teamed up with Castle Dale’s Hayden Cloward to finish third overall in the team roping competition at the national finals and help the Utah boys team finish second, just behind Texas.
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