ALPINE, Texas – Eastern New Mexico rodeo is on a roll to begin the 2023-24 season as two student-athletes earned the opportunity to compete in the championship round in a combined five events.

Shacie Marr entered three events in the rodeo hosted by Sul Ross State. In all three events, Marr made it to the short-go.

The Tularosa, New Mexico native tied for eighth in the breakaway after recording a time of 2.5s.

"You have to know the fact that when you are competing against 200-plus breakaway ropers and you get into the top-15, you are doing something right," said head coach Albert Flinn when asked about the breakaway performance from his team.

Kathi Norell (3.1s) and Quinn Leslie (3.2s) came just shy of the 2.6s mark to advance to the short round.

Marr tied for seventh in goat tying with a run of 6.9s. She earned some much-needed points in this event with another 6.9s result in the championship round.

In the weekend's tightest contest, Marr found a way to advance to the Saturday night round in barrel racing after a 16.22s result.

"I wouldn't be surprised if she made it to the short round in all three events again this season," said Flinn on the Greyhound senior.

Sophomore Zachary Townsend had arguably his best collegiate rodeo this weekend as he advanced to the short round in two different events.

"They've been practicing and they did what they are supposed to do," said Flinn on Marr and Townsend. "They are working at it everyday and this weekend they competed well."

The Greenville, Florida native split third in tiedown roping during the long round after a well-paced 9.1s run. His 12.7s run in the short-go stayed strong at sixth in that part of the competition and gave him 55 points for the men's squad.

Townsend posted the fourth fastest run in steer wrestling to advance to the championship round with a 5.8s time. Saturday night, he finished at 6.9s to hold onto the fifth best time of the evening and fifth overall to earn 70 points for the team.

Overall, the men's team finished in eighth marking the first placement for them in the 2023-24 campaign. The women's program earned another result as they finished the weekend in eleventh place.

The rodeo team is back in action at Vernon College this week. The festivities run from September 28-30 in Vernon, Texas.