Inaugural Joe Dee Brooks Memorial Rodeo a Success as Texans Send Seven to CNFR

LEVELLAND, TX - The South Plains College Texans and Lady Texans capped off the Caprock Region season in impressive fashion, hosting the first-ever Joe Dee Brooks Memorial Rodeo at the Mallet Event Center and Arena in Levelland.

The event marked the final rodeo of the 2025-2026 regular season and drew a strong turnout, both in competition and community support. Head Coach Kerry Doster was extremely pleased with the turnout and overall performance in the program's debut home rodeo.

South Plains entered the Short Go on Saturday night with a major opportunity, with seven athletes in position to qualify for the College National Finals Rodeo. When the dust settled, all seven secured their spots, advancing to compete in Casper, Wyoming this June. The achievement marks a significant milestone for the program, showcasing the depth and consistency of both the Texans and Lady Texans throughout the season.

Highlighting the weekend, Zaran Kirkpatrick was crowned the Women's All-Around Champion and also finished as the Caprock Region Champion in goat tying with 775 points. In team roping, Jantsen Morris and Jayden Morris earned Reserve Champion honors.

For the Caprock Region standings, the Texans finished seventh overall with 2,090 points, while the Lady Texans claimed Reserve Champion honors with 1,550.33 points, securing a team qualification to nationals.

Individually, South Plains had strong representation across events. In team roping headers, Jantsen Morris placed second with 580 points, followed by Jaxon Stoker in 10th (250 points) and Kail Brunson in 15th (140 points). On the heeler side, Jayden Morris finished second with 580 points, Trey Adams placed third with 480 points, Caden Harrel was seventh with 285 points, and Levi Sasser finished 10th with 250 points.

Sierra Telford contributed with a seventh-place finish in barrel racing (200 points) and a 15th-place finish in breakaway roping (147 points). In goat tying, Katie Knez added a 10th-place regional finish with 253.3 points alongside Kirkpatrick's championship performance.

South Plains' national qualifiers include Zaran Kirkpatrick, Katie Knez, Sierra Telford, and Kassidy Robertson on the women's side, with Kirkpatrick qualifying individually as the region champion in goat tying. On the men's side, Jantsen Morris qualified as a team roping header, while Jayden Morris and Trey Adams earned bids as heelers.

With the regional season now complete, South Plains shifts its focus to the CNFR, where the Texans will compete against the top collegiate rodeo athletes in the nation, carrying momentum from a historic and highly successful weekend on their home dirt.