Makenzie Mayes from NTCC was the Women’s All Around Champion.
By: Justin Hargrove, Assistant Athletic Director
The Northeast Texas Community College Rodeo team made the short trip to Sulphur Springs, Texas for the first National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA) Southern Region Rodeo hosted by Texas A&M University-Commerce February 3-4.
The Eagles had a great representation in the finals Saturday night, with the Women’s Team placing third and Makenzie Mayes (Scroggins, TX) coming away with the Women’s All-Around Champion Award.
Makenzie competed in both the Ladies Breakaway and Barrels bringing home a fourth-place finish in Breakaway and seventh place in Barrels to bring home points and help the ladies team capture third place overall. Mayes is sitting in second place in the Southern Region in Ladies Breakaway Roping with four Rodeos remaining in hopes of qualifying for the College National Finals Rodeo this summer in Casper, Wyoming.
Joining Mayes in the finals of Ladies Breakaway Saturday night for the NTCC Women’s team where Jill White (Singer, LA) and Chancey Wright (Arcadia, FL).
For the Men’s team the Eagles were represented by Brennen Wilson (Gilmer, TX) in the Tie down Roping, Kent Sheldon (Hanford, CA) in Saddle Bronc, Josh Stephenson (Carthage, TX) and Garrett Fields (Quitman, TX) in Steerwrestling.
Both the Men’s and Women’s teams will next compete March 10-11 at the Texas A&M University Rodeo in College Station for the next Rodeo on the Southern Region Circuit.
NTCC competes in the Southern region of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association with Hill College, McNeese State University, Panola College, Sam Houston State University, Southwest Texas Junior College, Stephen F. Austin University, Texas A&M University, Texas A&M University-Commerce, Trinity Valley Community College, and Wharton County Junior College. The Eagles will compete in ten total College Rodeo’s in hopes of qualifying for the College National Finals Rodeo.
The College National Finals Rodeo is held in Casper, Wyoming each summer. The CNFR is the best of the best in college rodeo. It is where the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association crowns individual event champions in saddle bronc riding, bare back riding, bull riding, tie-down roping, steer wrestling, team roping, barrel racing, breakaway roping, and goat tying. National team championships are also awarded to both men’s and women’s teams. Over 400 cowboys and cowgirls from over 100 universities and colleges compete in Casper each year. Contestants compete all year in one of the NIRA’s 11 regions for a chance to rope or ride at the CNFR.
