Texas Tech women prevail as NIRA regional rodeo champions
May 2, 2008
The Texas Tech University Women’s Rodeo Team rode away from theSouthwest Region of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association with the regional championship title.
The Texas Tech University Women’s Rodeo Team overwhelmed ropers and riders from
16 other universities April 24-26 at the final spring rodeo for the Southwest Region
of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, held at Stephenville’s Lone Star
Arena.
At the end of the day, the Raider women rode away with the regional championship title, along with an award plaque featuring team members and several championship saddles.
"We are pretty proud of these women," Texas Tech coach Chris Guay said. "They did pretty dang good."
Now, four women from the Texas Tech team will represent the university June 15-21 at the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyo.
Team members advancing to nationals are:
• Romany Gordon, a senior agricultural business/equestrian major from Castle Rock, Colo.; barrel racing
• Kelsy Friskup, a junior agribusiness major from Muleshoe; breakaway calf roping
• Tiana Thornton, a senior animal science major from San Angelo; barrel racing
• Heather Turner, a senior nursing major from Cochrane, Alberta, Canada; goat tying
• Courtney Rankin, a freshman animal and food sciences major from Tuscola, who will serve as an alternate in barrel racing,.
Separately, Jake Brown, an agricultural economics major from Stephenville, took the regional championship header title in the team roping event. He will compete for an individual men’s championship at nationals with roping partner Jaytin McCright of Clarendon College.
Guay, who is assisted in his coaching duties by Phillip Barnes, said the top two teams in each of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association’s 11 geographical regions advance to the national championships.
-30-
CONTACT: Chris Guay, coach, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Texas Tech University, (806) 742-2805, or chris.guay@ttu.edu.
At the end of the day, the Raider women rode away with the regional championship title, along with an award plaque featuring team members and several championship saddles.
"We are pretty proud of these women," Texas Tech coach Chris Guay said. "They did pretty dang good."
Now, four women from the Texas Tech team will represent the university June 15-21 at the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyo.
Team members advancing to nationals are:
• Romany Gordon, a senior agricultural business/equestrian major from Castle Rock, Colo.; barrel racing
• Kelsy Friskup, a junior agribusiness major from Muleshoe; breakaway calf roping
• Tiana Thornton, a senior animal science major from San Angelo; barrel racing
• Heather Turner, a senior nursing major from Cochrane, Alberta, Canada; goat tying
• Courtney Rankin, a freshman animal and food sciences major from Tuscola, who will serve as an alternate in barrel racing,.
Separately, Jake Brown, an agricultural economics major from Stephenville, took the regional championship header title in the team roping event. He will compete for an individual men’s championship at nationals with roping partner Jaytin McCright of Clarendon College.
Guay, who is assisted in his coaching duties by Phillip Barnes, said the top two teams in each of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association’s 11 geographical regions advance to the national championships.
-30-
CONTACT: Chris Guay, coach, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Texas Tech University, (806) 742-2805, or chris.guay@ttu.edu.