State rodeo: Mitch Detton, Aspen Swenson win season all-around titles, others qualify for nationals (2024)

KALISPELL — The wait to get back to the National High School Rodeo Finals was a painstaking one for Mitch Detton.

But this weekend's payoff for his patience was oh, so sweet.

The Great Falls native and future Montana State rodeo cowboy — where he'll join forces with brother and incoming junior Cole Detton — secured the season-long all-around cowboy title at this week's Montana High School Rodeo Association State Finals at Majestic Valley Arena, punctuating it by qualifying for nationals (July 14-20 in Rock Springs, Wyoming) in three events.

He took home the championship round win Saturday in steer wrestling to boot, clocking a time of 4.55 seconds to add an exclamation point on his great weekend, which will see him also move on to Rock Springs in tie-down roping and team roping (with Martinsdale's Walker Story) as well.

And after Detton missed out on nationals in back-to-back years after first qualifying for the event as a freshman, it was also a relieving weekend.

"Practicing every night, having all my friends and family helping me and just trying to get a time every time I nod my head," Detton said on winning the all-around title and his push to get back to nationals.

"It's really exciting to get to compete in all three events and be fortunate enough to make it (to nationals). ... I didn't have a very good season last year at state, but then I lucked out this year."

It was more than luck that got the humble Detton to the biggest stage in high school rodeo, however.

Making the top-16 cutoff for Saturday's championship rounds in all three of his events without much of a problem, Detton still had to handle the pressure of placing in the top four on the weekend's leaderboard to qualify for nationals.

Detton did just that as he and Story topped the state finals leaderboard in team roping with a score of 160.5, while Detton also placed third overall in both tie-down roping and steer wrestling following Saturday's performances. His season-end tally in the all-around standings is 528 points.

"When I found out (I made it to nationals), it was quite a bit of relief," Detton said. "Especially knowing you made it in all three events, which is your goal. ... Hopefully I can end up with a world championship."

The season-long all-around cowgirl, meanwhile, knows a thing or two about winning world championships.

Huntley's Aspen Swenson, in her debut season on the MHSRA circuit, closed her stellar rookie campaign with an all-around cowgirl title on 604.5 points. She did not qualify for the national meet in any of her five events, but she will be going anyway to cheer on brother AJ Swenson, who will join Detton in the tie-down roping event.

The siblings also had a solid performance in Saturday's short go in team roping, finishing fourth for the day in a time of 9.18. AJ did not record a time in Saturday's tie-down roping performance, but he had done enough throughout the week — helped by a second-place finish in the event's first go Thursday — to sneak into nationals as the event's fourth and final qualifier.

The summer grind is only just beginning for the Swensons as Aspen noted that the family is going back to the National Little Britches Rodeo Association Finals (beginning June 30 in Guthrie, Oklahoma) in hopes she can follow up from her junior girls all-around world title at last year's event.

But for the full-time rodeo athlete who went into homeschooling to allow her to practice more on her skills, she wouldn't have it any other way.

"It feels pretty incredible," Swenson said on winning the all-around cowgirl crown. "My horses did absolutely incredible and I'm more than thankful for them. They were all on top of their game through the whole weekend and it was just great. And everybody, all my friends and family, they all supported me."

Saturday championship round winners and national qualifiers for each event are as follows: