TAMUC’s Profili Captures Team Roping Championship at College National Finals Rodeo

Texas A&M University-Commerce Rodeo Team member Kaden Profili highlighted the Lions' success at the 2024 College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) with a National Championship victory in the Team Roping event.

Profili, a senior majoring in agricultural science and technology from Jacksonville, Texas, won the event as the team's heeler. He was paired with James Arviso of Hill College. This was Profili's fourth trip to the CNFR and his first national title, with his previous best finish being 12th.

In Team Roping, two cowboys – a “header” and “heeler” – work together to successfully rope a steer in the fastest time possible. The header must secure his rope around either the horns, head or neck, while the heeler must successfully rope both hind legs. The clock stops once there is no slack in the ropes and both horses face each other.

Profili and Arviso finished with a cumulative time of 31.6 seconds across four rounds, and the team's second round time of 4.1 seconds is one of the fastest in CNFR history. Profili's horse, Gunna Be an Angel or “Grace,” was also named the Overall Men's Horse of the Year and Horse of the Year in the Team Roping event by the American Quarter Horse Association.

This victory made 2024 the third consecutive year that an A&M-Commerce rodeo student-athlete was crowned a National Champion at CNFR. In 2023, Kincade Henry captured the title in the Tiedown Roping event, while Bryana Lehrmann was champion in Breakaway Roping and was the Women's All-Around champion in 2022. In addition, this was the second year in a row that an A&M-Commerce rodeo team member's steed took the title of the Men's Horse of the Year, after Cutter Carpenter's horse “Twix” received the honors in 2023.

Also competing in this year's event were A&M-Commerce students Addie Weil and Rylee George, both in the Breakaway Roping event.

Weil, a sophomore from Edna, Kan., currently double majoring in animal science and biological sciences, finished 25th in the event in her second CNFR appearance. George, a graduate student from Oakdale, Calif., majoring in agricultural sciences, finished 37th in her fourth time at the CNFR.

A&M-Commerce Rodeo Head Coach Dameon White had high praise for the Lions' performances at CNFR.

“Kaden's performance speaks volumes to how he handles the pressure of competitive rodeo. He consistently roped great the whole year and just kept it going at the CNFR,” White said. “Rylee and Addie roped great all year long and continued to do quite well over the weekend. These girls made the best of their rodeo given the calves they drew.”

Learn more about Rodeo at A&M-Commerce.

Photo by Jackie Jensen Photography | Kaden Profili ropes a steer during his championship-winning performance at the 2024 College National Finals Rodeo.