NMJC (Rodeo) Sends 2 T-Birds to College National Finals Steer Roping

The T-Bird rodeo team will have two student-athletes compete in the 2025 College National Finals Steer Roping at the Clarendon College Rodeo Arena. 

The event will be held Monday, May 26 in Clarendon, Texas at 2 p.m. CDT.

Freshman Kelton Campbell is the top-ranked T-Bird in the event. Campbell is 13th in the nation with 440 points. 

"Kelton did a really nice job this year for it being his first year in the steer roping event," NMJC men's rodeo head coach Stewy Kinley said. "He's quietly picked up a lot of points and got qualified by tying a lot of steers down. I think he'll do well because it's 3 rounds and a short and he gets a lot of steers caught. He can expect the same thing he's seen all year long. Hopefully draw some good steers and go tie them down. Kelton doesn't get too worked up, so he won't have trouble sticking to his game plan. I think he'll do really well."

Sophomore Tyler Espenson is the other T-Bird athlete competing in Clarendon on Memorial Day. Espenson comes in ranked No. 19 in the standings with 372 points. The Wildorado, Texas native will be making his third College National Finals Steer Roping appearance in 2025. Espenson previously qualified and competed at the finals during the 2023 season with Weatherford College and in 2024 with NMJC.

"This is Tyler's third College National Steer Roping Finals, so he's got some experience to bring to the event," Coach Kinley said. "He's riding a newer horse that he gets along with really well so I'm excited to see what he'll get done. He's had a bit of a rough year between having horses out with injuries and trying to get qualified at the end of the year, but he's got a lot of confidence in how he ropes on this new horse and it'll be fun to watch. He could definitely be a contender for a national title and maybe even some round wins."

The schedule and rules for the event are as follows.

Campbell and Espenson will have three opportunities in the long round, and if they advance to the short round, they receive one opportunity to get after it and rope the steer. The one-day event starts on Monday, May 26 at 2 p.m. CDT.

The steer roping finals is the penultimate event on the T-Bird athletics 2024-25 calendar. NMJC will close out the athletics season June 15-21 when the team roping duo of Lyvan Gonzalez and Cason Hatley head to Casper, Wyoming to compete at the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR). 

Stay up to date on the NMJC rodeo team by following them on Facebook and Instagram @nmjc_rodeo.