The Mesalands Community College rodeo team recently claimed the team championship title at the New Mexico High School/College Challenge in Lovington. The Mesalands team ended New Mexico State University’s five-year winning streak by earning 872 points as a team and seized the men’s all-around event championship title.

The Mesalands team gave a strong performance for high school students and their parents at last week’s rodeo competition. They won the team championship title by 200 points with NMSU following behind in second place.

Freshman Jordan Spears from Redding, Calif. was crowned the men’s all-around champion at the event. He also took home the bareback riding event champion title.

The New Mexico High School/College Challenge is sponsored by the New Mexico High School Rodeo Association. In this competition, New Mexico high school seniors and college rodeo students have the opportunity to compete against each other. This competition is not counted toward the intercollegiate rodeo team’s points for the year. However, according to Coach Aragon, this competition has a bigger purpose.

“This competition is the best recruiting tool in New Mexico,” Coach Aragon said. “College rodeo coaches are able to see how these high school students compete against our students. We also have the opportunity to visit with the high school students and their parents about our rodeo and academic programs.”

Other individual standings at the New Mexico High School/College Challenge included:

KC Peterson

Second place in bareback riding

Shelby Rita

Second place in breakaway roping

Fran Marchand

Third place in bareback riding

Second place in saddle bronc riding, seventh place in bull riding

Chase Massingill

Fourth place in steer wrestling, seventh place in team roping

Austin Woods

Seventh place in steer wrestling

Tyrel Virden

Third place in steer wrestling

James Ellet

Eighth place in steer wrestling

Daniel Robertson

Seventh place in team roping, seventh place in tie-down roping

Dominic Silva and Michael Ortega

Third place in team roping

Lane Wilson and Tyler McCormick

Fifth place in team roping

Rachelle Carlo

Eighth place in breakaway roping

The next rodeo competition for the rodeo team will be at Cochise College in Ft. Huachuca, Ariz., March 4-5, 2011.