Curtis, Neb. – Winning performances in barrel racing and goat tying helped the Lady Aggies of the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture win a team title at a weekend rodeo in Hastings.

The NCTA Aggies were led by Lexus Kelsch of McLaughlin, South Dakota in barrel racing and Ashten Marchant of New Castle, Wyo., in goat tying. Kelsch won first in the long round on Friday with a time of 17.89, and again in the short round Saturday night with a time of 17.56.  “Lexus’s winning short round time was .26 seconds faster than second place, which in barrel racing is a remarkable distance of time between first and second considering second and third place were a mere .06 seconds apart,” noted Bridger Chytka, NCTA animal science professor and rodeo coach.  Marchant had two identical runs of 8.2 seconds which earned her a three-way tie for first, second, and third place on Friday, and fourth on Saturday for third in the average. Her efforts combined with Kelsch and the rest of the Lady Aggies gave them their first team title this season.

For the men’s team, team ropers Cy Barnes of Sumner, Neb., and Cort Baker of Custer, South Dakota, placed fifth in the long round on Friday, and returned for short-go action Saturday.  “After some bad luck and running the wrong steer (than what the pair had drawn before the event) in the short round which they made an excellent run on, that time had to be scratched,” Chytka said. The duo had to come back to the arena and run the correct steer. They did not get a time in the short round so were out of the average placings.  Kelsch is leading the Great Plains Region of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association in barrel racing while Marchant is sitting third in goat tying in the region.  With one rodeo left next weekend in North Dakota, Kelsch is also second in the nation just 105 points short of the number one spot. Chykta said, “The Aggies are ready to compete Friday and Saturday at Dickinson State University.”

For the 17th year, the National Collegiate rodeo finals will be June 14-20 at Casper, Wyoming.