NJC rodeo team making good show

***Press Release***

Cargill sponsorship huge help in hauling expenses

With two national champions last year, the Northeastern Junior College Rodeo Team has a bit of an obligation to deliver the goods at this year’s spring rodeos being held in the Central Rocky Mountain Region of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA).

Team members have been braving the storms and making their way to the various rodeos across  Colorado and Wyoming. Traveling has become a bit easier for the competitors as the local Cargill/Nutrena feed mill has stepped up and made a generous donation to help defray the cost  of travel expenses.

“NJC provides great support to these student rodeo athletes at home, but on the road we need to do a better job of helping out with travel expenses,” says head rodeo coach Brian Cullen. “ With this donation from the local Cargill plant, we will be better apple to help these kids get down the rodeo trail.”

Cargill made the donation on March 9^th when the NJC rodeo program held its first  annual “Winners Circle” banquet  at the Plainsman Grill.  Over 100 team members, alumni, parents, community members, and boosters braved the wind and snow to gather and help the college m celebrate its two national championships won last June in Casper at the College National Finals.   Current sophomore Hayden Segelke of Snyder, CO was named the National All Around Cowgirl last summer, as a freshman.  Shay Carroll, a graduating sophomore from LaJunta, CO earned the National Champion Team Roping title and was named runner-up for the National All Around Cowboy title.  What made these winnings especially sweet is that NJC was the only Colorado college to even have students qualify for the national finals in 2012. Carroll has since go on to Tarelton State University in the Fort Worth area. Tarelton is a member of the Texas A & M college system.

Entertained by the great live music of the Jessie Miller band and Eric Martin, guests at the Winners Circle event cut a rug and enjoyed these two musically gifted rodeo team members. In the weekends to follow, NJC rodeo team members have been on the road.  NJC kicked off its spring season March 15^th to 17^th in Gillette where members won five separate go-rounds of completion and took home the event titles in the barrel racing and team roping.  The women’s team moved into first place in the region.

On March 28-30, the team was closer to home at Colorado State University college rodeo in Ft. Collins. Here, David Hinman took third place in the tie down calf roping,  Colby Anders (Bayard, NE)  was fifth in team roping (header) and  Jamie  Wolf (Pierre, SD) was fourth in team roping (heeler), as calculated by the point system.  Coralee Spratt (Shoshoni, WY)) was fifth in breakaway roping. Paxton Segelke (Snyder, CO) was second in barrel racing and sister Hayden took the sixth place slot in the same event.

At the rodeo held at Eastern Wyoming College in Torrington the first weekend in April, Cabel Weddle (Milaca, MN)  took a top ten placing in tie down calf roping, Kelby Bond (Pueblo, CO) was in top ten for steer wrestling,  Colby Anders, Kelby Bond and Tyler Bond  (Pueblo, CO)  all made it into the top ten in their respective end of the team roping. On the women’s side, Hayden Segelke took her lead again winning the barrels and tied for fifth in goat tying.  As of April 6^th, for regional standings, Northeastern’s women’s team holds on to first place and the men’s team is now sixth in the region. Hayden Segelke won the All Around Cowgirl buckle at Torrington and she now leads the pack as the only one in the running for the All Around Cowgirl title for the Central Rocky Mountain Region.    

The donation from Cargill is a huge boost for the rodeo program, which is doing exceptionally well at representing NJC and Sterling, Colorado all over the region. If you are interested in helping the NJC rodeo program in any way, please contact Coach Cullen 970-521-6609.