ROBERTSDALE , Alabama — For the third straight year, Kyle Irwin of Robertsdale, advanced to the final rounds of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association's College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyoming.

The incoming senior at Northwestern State Oklahoma University, in Alva, Ok., completed his junior year with the highest finish of his career, a Reserved National Champion in the steer wrestling event. The former Alabama state champion missed the individual national title by one tenth of a second.

Irwin did receive the “Championship Time” award for the shortest ride (3.5 seconds) at the event earning him a national championship ring. Final winning times are based on averages, however, and his Louisiana-based opponent Jason L. Thomas edged him out. Irwin also won the Best Time award at nationals as a freshman and is one of a handful of athletes in the event to to turn in multiple rides under 4.0 seconds at the national level.

Hi-lites of the event, including his best-time rides, will air on ESPN-U, August 12 at 7 p.m.-9.p.m. His freshman performance and championship time ride was also featured on ESPN-U in 2009. 

"I am very proud to have made it this far in the sport of Rodeo,” Irwin said. “What better way to get your college paid for and ride in the sport you love."

The Robertsdale High grad is majoring in Agri-Business at NOSU and is there on a rodeo scholarship. His events are: Steer Wrestling, Team Roping & Calf Roping.

In his final regular-season college rodeo in April, he finished in the top 3 in the Central Plains Region in Steer Wrestling and qualified to ride in the College National Finals in June for the third consecutive season.

Another award received was for his Steer Wrestling Horse, Rex. Rex won "Horse of the Year" for the Central Plains Region. The award is voted on by all of the student-athletes in the region for the 2010-2011 year. The award is a Breast Collar for the horse and a saddle and reads: CENTRAL PLAINS REGION MEN'S HORSE OF THE YEAR 2011. Irwin also won a pair of dress spurs for his All-Region finish.

After winning the best time at Nationals for the second time with a 3.5, which was also the fastest time for the entire week and earned him the Championship Ring for the go round, Irwin said he thought about his cousin Quinn Campbell and the unique accomplishment they now share. "Quinn is my cousin, and he is the only other intercollegiate contestant from our area (Baldwin County) who has won one of these rings."

The man's ring has a bucking bronc on the top with 2011 on one side and CNFR (College National Finals Rodeo) on the other.In the finals, he was solid in the next two rounds in the competition with a 5.4 and a 6.7. This put him in the "Short Go" in second place, next to Thomas in first. For this final - short go - run, it was a super fast 3.6 which was much faster than Thomas' 5.1 and once again, gave him the fastest time for the "Go Round".

So it went down to the wire and the calculators and had fans on the edge of their seats, but the end result for Irwin's average was 19.2, just 0.10 behind the winning time.