It’s official, the Mesalands Community College Men’s Rodeo Team clinched the Grand Canyon Regional Championship title, for the second consecutive year, at the rodeo at New Mexico State University (NMSU) in Las Cruces, NM last weekend. The Women’s Team also had their best year, finishing second in the region with 3,801.50 points. The Men’s Team recently broke their own National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA) record this season, by earning 1,357.5 points in Crownpoint, the most points earned at a single rodeo. The Men’s Team has done it again and set another national record for the most points earned during a single season, with a total of 9,707.5 points earned this season.“We beat the record close to 1,000 points. The national office is still auditing the points, but going into the last rodeo we only needed 7.5 points to beat the national record,” C.J. Aragon, Intercollegiate Rodeo Coach at Mesalands said.

Last year was the first time in the program’s history, that the College won a regional championship title, ending NMSU’s eight-year winning streak. Winning the regional title two-years in a row demonstrates how remarkable the Mesalands Rodeo Team has performed and improved over the years.

“It’s pretty nice to be able to defend our Team title. Many people might have thought we were just lucky last year, but after winning two years in a row in a pretty convincing fashion, it legitimizes our Team and our rankings as the current number one team in the nation,” Aragon said.

In Las Cruces last weekend, the Men’s Team finished in first place with 1,025 points and brought home four individual championship titles. The Women’s Team took second place with 480 points and won one championship title.

Freshmen Macy Fuller, from Clarkston WA, has led the Mesalands Women’s Team this season.

Last weekend, Fuller took the championship title in the team roping, heading for fellow teammate Daniel Munoz-Boezi from Chihuahua, Mexico. Fuller also finished second in the Women’s All-Around, and fifth in the barrel racing. As the top female rodeo recruit last year, Fuller has performed as expected this season.

Fuller finished first in the region in the Women’s All-Around, second in goat tying, third in breakaway roping, fourth in the team roping (header), event and eighth in barrel racing.

“It’s difficult because I ride four horses and I have six horses here that I have to keep in shape. It’s especially hard to focus when your mind is racing around about team roping, breakaway, goat tying, and then turn around and get on a barrel horse. You just have to stay focused,” Fuller said. “I feel pretty good about my performance this spring.  In the fall I didn’t really have any points in any events, so I had to make those up this semester. This year has been a great experience.”

Nationally, Fuller is currently ranked first in the Women’s All-Around, 10^th in goat tying, and 20^th in the breakaway event.

Sophomore Fran Marchand of Omak, WA has consistently performed well this season. Last weekend Marchand won two individual championship titles, the Men’s All-Around and the bareback riding title. He also finished fourth in the saddle bronc riding.

Marchand finished the season first in the region in the Men’s All-Around and first in the bull riding and took third in bareback riding and saddle bronc riding. He is also currently leading the nation in the Men’s All-Around, fifth in bull riding, 10^th in saddle bronc riding, and 15^th in the nation in bareback riding.

Freshman Jordan Minor of Navasota, TX also shined this season finishing first in the region in the tie down roping. Minor is currently ranked 15^th in the nation in tie down roping.

Other individual regional year-end standings include:

Christian Stremler

Ty Nuffer
4^th Saddle Bronc Riding

Chase Massengill
2^nd Steer Wrestling
4^th Place in Men’s All-Around
8^th Place in Tie Down Roping
12^th Place in Team Roping Header

Austin Woods
5^th Place in Steer Wrestling
9^th Place in Men’s All-Around
9^th Place in Team Roping (Header)

Cody Heffernan
4^th in Bull Riding

Adriano Long
7^th Place in Bull Riding

Kody Decker
10^th Place in Bull Riding

James Hayes
12^th Place in Bull Riding

Jesus Gonzalez
13^th Place in Bull Riding

KC Peterson
5^th Place in Bareback Riding

Kit Pettigrew
2^nd Place in Tie Down Roping

Hayden Moore
3^rd Place Steer Wrestling

Tyler McCormick
6^th Place in Steer Wrestling

Lane Wilson
7^th Place in Steer Wrestling

Cody Lensman
10^th Place in Steer Wrestling

Tyler Virden
11^th Place in Steer Wrestling

James Ellet
12^th Place in Steer Wrestling

Chaz Kananen
7^th Place in Team Roping Header (Header)

Daniel Munoz-Baeza
4^th Place in Team Roping (Heeler)

Daniel Robertson
7^th Place in Team Roping (Heeler)

Dillon Archuleta
13^th Place in Team Roping (Heeler)

Shelby Rita
3^rd Place in Barrel Racing

Bailey Bates
4^th place in Breakaway Roping

Emily Woolbright
8^th Place in Breakaway Roping

Meghan Fewins
14^th Place in Breakaway Roping

Kelbee Cheeney
12^th Place in Goat Tying