Two members of the Mid-Plains Community College Rodeo Team are now guaranteed to compete at nationals.

Trey Engel, of Silver Creek, won the bull riding at the Hastings College Rodeo in Hastings on Saturday, earning enough points to secure a spot at the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyo. in June.

“That clinched him winning the region,” said Dustin Elliott, MPCC Rodeo Team rough stock coach. “He can’t be beat.”

Engel’s win comes just a week after Rowdy Moon, of Sargent, won the bareback riding at a rodeo in Spearfish, S.D. – also earning a trip to nationals. According to Elliott, there will be more qualifiers.

“We’ve got three for sure,” said Elliott. “Ethan Lesiak [of Clarks], even though he didn’t have a good weekend in Hastings, still gained enough points that he can’t be moved out of the standings either. He’s going to be headed to nationals in bull riding.”

Then there’s Reece Weber, of Valentine, who continues to lead the Great Plains Region as a team roping header.

“But, that’s so close,” said Elliott. “He could go from first to fourth in an instant. Duell Puttergill [of Tryon] is fourth in the region in the saddle bronc riding. He still, mathematically, has a shot to make it, but he will have to do something this weekend.”

Engel wasn’t the only one who placed at the top at Hastings. His teammates, Garrett Wickett, of Norfolk, and Moon, came in second in the bull riding and bareback riding, respectively.

There were also two fourth place finishes for the MPCC team: Riley Weehler, of Mount Ayr, Iowa, in the tie-down roping and Ty Wriedt, of Norfolk, in the steer wrestling.

Overall, MPCC placed fifth in the team standings.

The final rodeo of the season will be Friday and Saturday in Dickinson, N.D.