Mesalands Rodeo Team brings home another team roping championship title in Arizona

The Mesalands Community College’s Rodeo Team had two rodeo competitions at

Central Arizona College in Florence, AZ last weekend. The Men’s Team won a championship title and the Women’s Team improved as well. The Men’s Team is currently fourth in the Grand Canyon Region and the Women’s Team is in sixth place.

“Chaz (Kananen) and Daniel (Baeza) made two good runs in the team roping again,” said Tim Abbott, Interim Intercollegiate Rodeo Coach at Mesalands.  “Just like in Ft. Huachuca (Arizona) two weeks ago, this is the performance we expect out of them. It’s no surprise that they’re putting good runs like this together. It’s just nice to see that they are on a roll in getting some consistent winnings.”

During the first rodeo on Saturday, March 15, sophomore Kananen (header) from Roy, MT and sophomore Baeza (heeler) of Chihuahua, Mexico, won the Team Roping Championship Title, for the second consecutive rodeo, with a time of 6.1 seconds. Also in team roping, sophomore Betty Pack (header) of Aztec, NM and Sophomore Scott Day (heeler) of Vernon, BC, took fifth place with a time of 7.7 seconds.

Pack also shined in breakaway roping, finishing the rodeo in third place with a time of 2.7 seconds.

“Betty Pack had a great weekend!  She had the weekend that I have been waiting on all year. We just finally put it all together at the right time,” Coach Abbott said.

Sophomore Edmiles Harvey of Tsalina Springs, AZ earned 74 points in bareback riding, taking second place. Harvey was not far behind the first place winner who earned 77 points.

In tie-down roping, sophomore Hayden Moore of Clovis, NM, had a final run of 13.4 seconds, and ended in seventh place at the rodeo.

On Saturday, the Men’s Team finished in fourth place and the Women’s Team finished fifth.

On Sunday, March 16, Pack continued to represent the Women’s Team with a run of 3.4 seconds, and taking fifth place.

Freshman Sam Taylor of New South Wales, Australia, earned 61 points at the rodeo, placing him in fourth place at the rodeo.

Team ropers Kanenan and Baeza, also performed well on Sunday, finishing in second place with a time of 5.6 seconds. Team ropers sophomore Mike McGinn (header) of Haines, OR and sophomore Jacob Rounds (heeler) of Brooklyn, NY, advanced as well with a time of 6.5 seconds, and taking third place. Team ropers sophomore Morgan McVay (heeler) of Sparks, NV and Victor Ugalde (header) from the University of New Mexico, finished 7th at the rodeo, with a time of 9.2 seconds.

On Sunday, the Men’s Team finished fourth and the Women’s Team finished in sixth place at the rodeo.

“I like where we are, I think we definitely could be a little higher in the standings. I really feel like as we get into the heart of our season we are starting to perform to our ability,” said Coach Abbott. “I think we will just continue to gain ground every rodeo.”

Grand Canyon Regional individual standings as of March 17, 2014:

Samuel Taylor
5th Saddle Bronc Riding

Edmiles Harvey
3rd Bareback Riding

Devren Myers
2nd Bull Riding

Adriano Long
3rd Bull Riding

Kit Pettigrew
3rd Tie-Down Roping

Hayden Moore
13th Tie-Down Roping
13th Steer Wrestling
15th Team Roping Heeler

Mike McGinn
9th Steer Wrestling
14th Team Roping Header

Chaz Kananen
2nd Team Roping Header

Daniel Baeza
2nd Team Roping Heeler

Morgan McVay
5th Team Roping Heeler

Trey Blackmore
10th Team Roping Heeler

Betty Pack
10th Breakaway Roping

The Mesalands Rodeo Team will be competing in Arizona next weekend to compete at the University of Arizona on March 22, 2014 in Tucson, AZ.