The 2007 Wyoming Cowgirls were something special.

This year's rodeo team is a product of a dream that, if the next week pans out as George Howard expects, will result in a second consecutive national championship at the College National Finals Rodeo.

"They kind of knew when they were coming together what this was all about," Howard, the UW rodeo coach, said. "This is the Dream Team here."

That team consists of: Nikki Steffes, the defending national all-around champion and the only returning member of last year's title squad; TaNaye Carroll, a two-time CNFR qualifier who transferred from Northeastern Junior College; and Sarah Mullholland, a transfer from Central Wyoming College who went to the CNFR twice as part of a qualifying team but advanced here as an individual for the first time this year.

The UW squad was a vision of Howard's more than two years ago when he took a look at the competition around him in the Central Rocky Mountain Region and tried to figure out how he could get its best young stars together on one team.

"I said, 'We've got to get her and her and her and we've got some more that didn't quite make it, but they're just as competitive," Howard said. "These women are very, very strong and competitive and deep. We could go on and on and on."

The same goes for their CRMR accolades.

The Cowgirls captured the region crown by winning nine of the season's 10 rodeos. A Cowgirl was the women's all-around champion in nine of the events as well, with Steffes winning eight times.

And of 30 possible titles in individual events, Steffes, Mulholland and Carroll combined to win 30.

After all of that, it's no surprise that Howard is expecting another championship and said it wouldn't be far-fetched to believe UW could take home three individual titles, an all-around crown and a team championship.

"They've both been here before on different teams," Steffes said of Carroll and Mulholland. "I think we're all really competitive (and) we all have a great chance in any event. They're both just really great, competitive girls.

"I really think practicing against them all spring really prepared me for this."

It may have also prepared Mulholland and Carroll to be included in the list of top contenders that could unseat the reigning all-around champ.

Carroll already has top-10 CNFR finishes in goat-tying (twice) and barrel racing, but the region's reserve all-around champion has traded in barrels for breakaway roping this time around.

"It's just really exciting," Carroll said. "They had a great year last year and had a lot of talent. And I think we have a lot of talent this year, too. And I'm just glad to be a part of it."

For Mulholland, the new team isn't the only change since last year's CNFR.

After losing her horse the day after she returned home from the CNFR last year, she's on a new ride that she calls "pretty extraordinary."

And, for the first time, she'll compete in two events.

"It feels a little bit different," Mulholland said. "I made it on my own, so that makes it even more exciting.

"I really am going to stay focused on my individual events and not look at the end picture, but just (focus on) each run at a time so I can put three good runs together and come back to the short round."

It sounds like a pretty good plan for each member of Howard's dream team.

Mulholland and Carroll will make their first breakaway runs today and the coach says he may know right away how the week will play out.

"Last year, after the first day I knew what was going to happen because they just started getting points and didn't stop," Howard said. "TaNaye and Sarah rope their first calf (today).

"If that goes good, look out."

Contact sports reporter Eric Schmoldt at (307) 266-0578 or eric.schmoldt@trib.com.

COWGIRLS TRACKER

ON THE DEFENSE: The Wyoming Cowgirls begin defense of their 2007 College National Finals Rodeo title today at the Casper Events Center.

SAME NAME, DIFFERENT FACES: Defending women's all-around champion Nikki Steffes is the only member of last year's UW team returning to the CNFR.

TALENTED TRANSFERS: UW coach George Howard began formulating this year's "Dream Team" more than two years ago, helping it come to life by adding transfers TaNaye Carroll and Sarah Mullholland.

HE SAID IT: "TaNaye and Sarah rope their first calf (today). If that goes good, look out." - Howard.