The Texas A&M women’s rodeo team dominated at the only home event of the season with four Aggies placing in three different events.
Both the men’s and women’s teams faced steep competition March 10-11 with agriculture communications and journalism junior Madalyn Richards leading the women’s team taking first in goat tying and third in breakaway, contributing 100 points to the women’s team score.
Also placing in goat tying average was agricultural economics junior Cora Stewart in fifth. Agribusiness senior Victoria Procter placed third in the average in barrels and health senior Brooke Krolczyk placed fourth in the average in barrels.
Both the men and women are poised to qualify for nationals, with the women sitting first in point total in the Southern Region of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association and the men currently in third, coach Al Wagner said.
“Our goal is to send a full men’s and women’s team to the college finals,” Wagner said.
The women’s team has visited the College National Finals Rodeo, or CNFR, numerous times, but this would be the first time to send a full men’s team, Wagner said. The top two teams qualify for the CNFR in Casper, Wyoming, in June.
“[The women are] dominating in all three events,” said Laramie Wedemeyer, rodeo team president and agriculture communications and journalism senior. “I really believe in them, and think they could qualify and bring home the [CNFR] championship.”
On the men’s side of the standings, animal science sophomore Gavin French placed third in the average in bareback riding, contributing 40 points to the men’s team total.
In a new steer branding competition among 16 organizations associated with A&M, the A&M PREP team won the championship buckles after completing the contest in 46.10 seconds.
Both the men’s and the women’s team are scheduled to compete in the Wharton County Junior College Rodeo in Wharton on March 24-25. The last rodeo of the spring season is the Trinity Valley Community College Rodeo in Athens on April 21-22.
This is the final event that will determine who qualifies for the CNFR, Wagner said.
“Trinity Valley is the last one that decides everything,” Wagner said.
Wagner said he is excited for the possibility of sending a full men’s team and to see the women’s team qualify for finals again.
Follow the A&M rodeo team @TexasAggieRodeo on Instagram for more information.
Darci Denio is an agriculture communications and journalism and agriculture leadership and development senior and contributed this article from the course JOUR 359, Reporting Sports, to The Battalion.