Mesalands rodeo team scores its best ever

The Mesalands Community College Rodeo Team had the most successful weekend in the history of the rodeo program while competing at two college rodeos hosted by Central Arizona College in Florence, Arizona March 8-9. 

“We are becoming more and more competitive each weekend,” said rodeo coach C.J. Aragon.  “As a whole we have improved a lot this year, and now we are starting to place more students in more events each weekend.”

At the first college rodeo Mesalands had their highest placing as a team in program history.  The men’s team placed second after scoring 362 points. At the first rodeo five team members placed. 

l The team was led by freshman Michael Bates. Bates placed first in the steer wrestling and split sixth and seventh in the team roping while partnered with Aubri Allen.
l  Jon Luse placed third in the bareback riding.
l Matt Bridges, a freshman, placed fourth in the saddle bronc riding. 
l Jeff O’Donnell finished fifth in the steer wrestling. 

At the second rodeo of the weekend the Mesalands Rodeo Team finished third in the team standings with 271 total team points. 
l Jon Luse, a bareback rider, turned in a personal best score of 75 points to earn first place in the competition.
 “Jon has been working really hard all year at improving his riding and all his work is paying off,”  Aragon said. 
l Jeff O’Donnell continued his strong weekend with a second place finish in the steer wrestling.
Both Luse and O’Donnell finished as the event champions for the weekend. 

“This is the first time Mesalands Community College has ever had two individual event champions in the same weekend,” Aragon said.

Also placing for the Mesalands Rodeo team were:
l Kordale Secody and Dennison Boone in the team roping.  Secody and Boone roped their steer in 7.0 to place third at the second rodeo. 

The Mesalands rodeo team competes next April 18-19 in Crownpoint.