ODESSA, Texas – Eastern New Mexico opened the spring semester with its strongest rodeo of the season. The women's program won the team all-around and the men placed third and came five points away from the runner-up school.
"It was a good week," said head coach
John Sharp. "Lots of kids had great success. Our women's team is back in contention to make college nationals."
The women had three cowgirls make it back to the short go in at least one event.
Shaeden Marr won the all-around title for the women after strong performances in both the goat tying and breakaway. She took fourth in both the long round (6.5s) and short round (7.0s) and had the third best time in the average (13.5s). She accumulated a whopping 100 points in the event.
Marr took second in the long round (2.5s) of breakaway and second in the short round (12.2s). She earned sixth in the average (14.7s) and ended the weekend with another 80 points. Her 180 combined points for the weekend gave her the all-around crown.
Mackinzee Dermody continues to be one of the best cowgirls in the region. She won the goat tying title in Odessa. She took third in the long round (6.4s) and second in the short go (6.7s) to earn the top time in the average (13.1s) and score 150 team points.
Kassidy Lightfoot also made the short round in breakaway. She had a 3.0s run in the long go to split 10/11.
The men's team also had three make it back in the short round throughout the weekend.
Jacob Walters came into the competition as the top point scorer in the entire region and he kept it that way by earning 435 points by himself. He scored 165 points in tie down roping, 150 points in team roping, and 120 points in steer wrestling.
Walters took second in the long round (9.4s) in tie down and first place (9.9s) in the short go. He split 1/2 in the average (19.3s) to finish with 165 points. He was part of the team roping duo to finish second (6.6s) in the opening run and second in the short round (7.5s) to take second in the average (14.1s). The graduate student took second in the long round in steer wrestling (4.9s) and fourth in the short go (5.7s). He closed out the competition in fourth in the average (10.6s).
Bowdy Neece joined Walters with a successful outing in tie down roping. He made the eighth spot in the long round (11.5s) before taking second (10.1s) in the short round. He ended in fourth in the average (21.6s) to secure 80 points.
Also in the short go was
Orran Hart. He was ninth in the opening round (14.1s) and could not complete a run in the short go to split 9/10 in the average.
Eastern New Mexico rodeo will now take a one-month hiatus before picking up spring competition once again in Snyder, Texas at a competition hosted by Western Texas College March 26-28.
