CANYON, Texas — A West Texas A&M University senior scored big at the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyoming.
Quade Hiatt, a senior marketing major from Canyon, won the men’s all-around event at the finals, scoring 365 total points, more than triple of his nearest competitor.
Hiatt scored points by winning second place in team roping and fourth in tie-down roping.
“I’ve been roping since I was a little kid, so getting to go to nationals was a thrill,” Hiatt said. “And to win a national title is just unreal.”
This was Hiatt’s second trip to CNFR after competing there in 2021.
“Quade is a great kid and very talented — everything you want in an athlete on your team,” said Raymond Hollabaugh, who retired as WT’s rodeo coach at the end of the season. “What he did is very hard to do, especially competing against the top college athletes around the nation. This is a stepping stone for him for a lot bigger things to come down the road. I’m real happy for him.
Hollabaugh stepped down after 10 years at WT. Previously, he coached for eight years at Tarleton State University.
“I’ve loved being at WT,” Hollabaugh said. “It was a hard decision, but it was time.”
WT is actively seeking a new rodeo coach, said Dr. Lance Kieth, associate dean of the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences.
Kieth said the new coach should be an instructor with a master’s degree in an agricultural sciences field who is dedicated to fielding rodeo teams that are academically strong and nationally competitive.
Interested candidates can submit a curriculum vitae, including three references and evidence of teaching and coaching effectiveness, to [email protected]. Finalists will be required to provide unofficial transcripts of all academic work for the review process.
CNFR was held June 11 to 17.
The WT Rodeo team — which boasts 30 members from around the country — has been a WT fixture for more than 25 years, with several regional champions and CNFR qualifiers in its history.
The team was spotlighted in “Around Texas with Chancellor John Sharp,” a TV show highlighting accomplishments across The Texas A&M University System: youtu.be/4RuwcyRG9c8.
WT’s rodeo team is an example of the University’s responsiveness to the Texas Panhandle, as outlined in the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.
That plan is fueled by the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign. To date, the campaign — which publicly launched in September 2021— has raised more than $125 million and will continue through 2025.
