Lehrmann’s National Titles Highlight National Finals Rodeo for A&M-Commerce

Two individual national championships highlighted the efforts of the Texas A&M University-Commerce rodeo team as they competed at the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) in Casper, Wyoming, from June 8-18.

Seven members of the A&M-Commerce team qualified for the competition, which sees the best in the nation attend. Four students made up the women's team and three male students competed as individuals representing A&M-Commerce.

The biggest success of the event was Bryana Lehrmann taking the national title in the women's all-around rankings. Lehrmann, a graduate student majoring in accounting from Lexington, Texas, competed in the breakaway roping and barrel racing events. She won the national championship in breakaway roping for her second title at the event with a time of 9.2 seconds across her four rounds of competition, a record at the CNFR. She also finished 33rd in the barrel racing event.

Lehrmann's wins mark the first individual national championships in the history of the A&M-Commerce rodeo program.

Also competing on the women's side were:

  • Alyssa Lockhart, a graduate student majoring in psychology from Oelrichs, South Dakota. Lockhart finished 19th in breakaway roping. This was Lockhart's fifth and final time to qualify for the CNFR.
  • Mayce Marek, an agribusiness major from Arp, Texas. Marek took home a 29th-place finish in goat tying. This was Marek's third time qualifying for the CNFR.
  • Keely Henry, an agribusiness major from Mount Pleasant, Texas. Henry finished 55th in breakaway roping. This was her first appearance at the CNFR.

Overall, the women's team finished the competition ranked fourth, their highest CNFR finish in program history.

On the men's side, qualifiers from A&M-Commerce included:

  • Ryan Nettle, an agribusiness major from Goldthwaite, Texas. Nettle finished 35th in steer wrestling. This was Nettle's third time qualifying for the CNFR.
  • Ty Eason, a graduate student studying for his M.B.A. from Sulphur Springs, Texas. Eason tied for 42nd place in tie-down roping. This was his first qualification for the CNFR.
  • Tristan Sullivan, an agribusiness major from Madisonville, Texas. Sullivan tied for 21st in team roping. This was his first year to qualify for the CNFR.

A&M-Commerce Head Rodeo Coach Dameon White had high praise for the team and is optimistic about the future of the program.

“Both teams performed really well this year and I am proud of what the student-athletes have accomplished both in the classroom and the arena,” White said. “I am looking forward to what this next year brings.”

The A&M-Commerce Rodeo Team will now look to build on its successes for the 2022-23 rodeo season, highlighted by the fourth annual Texas A&M University-Commerce Rodeo, scheduled for February 3-4, 2023 at the Hopkins County Civic Center in Sulphur Springs.