Mesalands takes home bull-riding titles

The Mesalands Community College rodeo team recently took home bull-riding titles at rodeo competitions at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces and at Cochise College in Douglas, Arizona.

The men's team also won a team roping title at Cochise. The women's team brought home a reserve championship title in goat tying at Cochise.

"The students have been competing much better," Mesalands coach Matt Hughes said. "I think they are really starting to get more comfortable, and our next rodeo is going to be at our own practice arena. I look for us to win our rodeo. It will be awfully exciting to watch."

At the New Mexico State University rodeo, the men's and women's team each finished fourth.

Mesalands bull rider Vinell Mariano of Pinedale, New Mexico, won the championship title with 74 points.

Teammate Hiyo Yazzie of Brimhall, New Mexico, finished third in team roping (heeler) with Erik Becenti from Navajo Technical College.

For the Mesalands women's team, Rebecca Darrup of Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania, finished eighth in goat tying with a time of 7.9 seconds.

At the Cochise College rodeo, the men's team finished third and the women's team fifth.

Mesalands' Levi Gray of Dairy, Oregon, brought home the bull riding championship title with 148 points.

Yazzie won the title in team roping with a time of 16.5 seconds. Yazzie also placed sixth in steer wrestling and was third in the Men's All-Around.

For the women's team, Delaney Gonzales of Grants, New Mexico, finished in second in the goat tying and was crowned reserve champion at the rodeo. She had a time of 18.8 seconds.

In tie-down roping, Chance Wilson of Hope, New Mexico, tied for eighth.

Darrup was ninth in barrel racing. Kash Pablo of Crownpoint, New Mexico, was ninth in the breakaway roping event.