Mid-Plains Community College was well represented at the 2015 National High School Finals Rodeo. The event, which ran from July 12-18, was in Rock Springs, Wyo.

Eight of the contestants are enrolled at MPCC for the upcoming fall semester and have signed letters of intent to be on the MPCC Rodeo Team.

They are: Rowdy Moon, Sargent; Kanoa Awai-Dickson, Kula, Hawaii; Cord Hesseltine, Halsey; Shane Weber, Burwell; Reece Weber, Valentine; Garrett Wickett, Norfolk; Trey Engel, Silver Creek and Riley Weehler, Maloy, Iowa.

Many of MPCC Rodeo Coach Dustin Elliott’s other recruits just missed representing Nebraska at nationals – the team consisted of the top four contestants in each of 12 events.

“Everyone who did make it to the NHSFR did great there,” said Elliott. “I think it was a big step forward for us to have eight kids competing at that level and competing well.”

The top two finishers of the group were Moon and Awai-Dickson.

Moon finished third in the average for bareback riding. He won the third performance of the rodeo with a score of 68 points, placed second in Performance 10 with a score of 70 and won the short-go Saturday with a ride worth 75 points.

Awai-Dickson wrestled a steer in 17.81 seconds, which placed him sixth in Performance Six. He ended up fourth in Performance Seven with a time of 7.47 seconds. He finished the competition 19th with a total time of 25.28 seconds.

Elliott knows how hard the contestants worked to qualify for the NHSFR – his Oregon High School Rodeo championship in 1999 earned him a scholarship to Chadron State College.

He’s looking forward to building on that work ethic and pushing his recruits further with the help of Garrett Nokes, MPCC assistant rodeo coach and Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier.

“That’s what I’m excited about,” said Elliott. “I can’t wait to see these kids, who already have natural ability, enter our program and excel at the next level.”