where CHAMPIONS & CHAMPIONSHIPS
ARE THE STANDARD!

Men's National Champions	Men's Reserve National Champions
Women's National Champions	Jamie Standifer - National Champion All-Around
Jill Childers - National Champion	Tate Stratton - National Champion
Jamie Standifer - National Champion All-Around	Houston Hutto - 2 Time National Champion
Tona Wright - National Champion
Jake Wright - National Champion	Jake Wright - National Champion
	Bryan Martinat - National Champion

After a slow start last year, the women’s rodeo team at Western Texas College gathered momentum, finishing third in the tough Southwest Region. Coach Greg Rhodes expects this year’s team to compete for the region championship.

With the entire squad returning, the Lady Westerners have a solid core to build upon. Teal Hampton (Fort Meyers, FL), a national qualifier last year, returns to lead the way in the barrel racing event. Randa Clabaugh (Rozeta, WY) and Shawn Reynolds (Gillette, WY) both return in the breakaway roping and goat tying eventsm. Bailey Guthrie (Rigby, ID) returns to compete in goat tying, barrel racing, and breakaway roping. 

Rhodes expects a lot out of newcomer Tyesha Oppenheimer (Redmond, UT) in all three events. Callie Griffith (Decatur, TX) is also projected to contribute in goat tying and breakaway roping. 

The Lady Westerners riders and ropers will travel to Portales, New Mexico to open the season at Eastern New Mexico University.

Coming off a national championship last season, the Western Texas College rodeo team, and coach Greg Rhodes have a tough act to follow. The Westerners must replace some departed athletes who contributed heavily to the national championships, including Jake Wright, Bryan Martinat, Sam Knight, Luke Creasy, and Jared Smith.

Rhodes will look for key returners to help get the Westerners back to the national championships. Cody Burney (Snyder, TX) qualified for nationals in the team roping and is set to return. Also set to return is Glenn Chape (Walgett, Australia), a steer wrestler, who was out for most of last season with a knee injury. Other key returners include steer wresters Dustin Duhon (Sonora, TX) and Zach Crawford (Loxley, AL). 

Coach Rhodes will look for some major contributions from several newcomers. Kash Koester (Chandler, OK) is expected to contribute in a significant fashion to all three timed events. Key newcomers in the saddle bronc event will be Brewster Guin (Lubbock, TX), John Redig (Gaviata, CA) and Brent Smyth (Bendemeer, Australia). The bareback event will feature several new recruits, including Shiloh Amoitte, (Wanblee, SD), Daniel Logue (Greely, CO) Tyler Beeman (Primeville, OR), Jace Daly (Torrington, WY).  

As the defending Southwest Region and national champions, Rhodes feels the region will be up for grabs, as many of the teams are unknown going into the 2009-2010 year. Rhodes begins preparation for the season with the Westerners traveling to Portales, New Mexico to open the season at Eastern New Mexico University.

WTC has been a steppingstone into the NFR, PBR and PRCA for such greats and world champions as:

Contact: rodeo@wtc.edu

Happy Trails and we'll see you at the CNFR!!!