Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

ENMU's Medlin wins in team roping at CNFR

CMI staff

CASPER, Wyo. — Eastern New Mexico University junior Logan Medlin claimed a national championship on Saturday night.

Medlin, combining with Tarleton State junior Billy Bob Brown, took first place team roping at the College National Finals Rodeo. Another ENMU/Tarleton tandem, Greyhounds senior Michael Trujillo and TSU’s Cadee Tew, finished third in the event.

ENMU coach Albert Flinn said Medlin and Brown needed a time of at least 6.1 seconds to win it. Their time on Saturday was their best of the week.

“We knew they had a better-than average chance to win it,” Flinn said. “It was a matter of what they did in the short round.”

Medlin and Brown, one of the last to compete in Saturday’s short go, posted a time of 5.7 seconds for a four-round total of 25.3 seconds, while Trujillo, from Portales, and Tew had a 6.1 time on Saturday to finish at 36.8.

“Eastern had a good night,” said Medlin, who is from Tatum. “I was confident in my partner; we’ve been roping good lately. We had a good feeling all week, it was kind of our time.”

“It came at a good time,” Medlin said.

The two performances put ENMU in ninth place in the final team standings with 405 points. Oklahoma Panhandle State took the team title with 820 points.

Brown claimed all-around honors for the men with 370 points.

For the ENMU women, senior Katelyn Lide of Odessa claimed sixth place in the average in goat tying at 27.7 seconds, including a time of 6.8 in the short go. Gillette (Wyo.) Community College’s Jordan Thurston-Miller was first at 24.8.

Junior TiAda Gray of Lovington had a no-score on Saturday in breakaway roping. Gray was competing after sustaining a cracked tibia near her right-ankle in a CNFR-sponsored softball event earlier in the week. Flinn said the injury hampered her and added that she “didn’t draw a very good calf” for the final round.

The Zias were 14th in the final team standings with 140 points, while Idaho State took team honors at 510. Hayden Segulke of Northeastern (Colo.) JC, who plans to transfer to ENMU in the fall, Flinn said, took women’s all-around honors with 460 points.