Members
of the West Texas A&M University rodeo team who captured the
school's first national championship at the College National Finals Rodeo
are, standing from left, coach Mark Eakin, Ike Hanes, Wes Burnes, Marty
Eakin and Chad Mask. Kneeling from left are Zack Cobb and Jarett Stovall.
(Photo courtesy of WTAMU)
(Canyon)—West Texas A&M University’s Zach Cobb proved to be the nation’s top collegiate steer wrestler, leading the Buffaloes to their first-ever team title at the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) June 11-17 in Casper, Wyo.
West Texas A&M was continually in the hunt for a team title and used a particularly good final round to sew things up as three Buffs finished among the top five in their individual events.
Adding to the Buffs’ remarkable weekend was the naming of Marty Eakin, a junior general studies major from Amarillo, as national winner of the Walt Garrison Award, a coveted “top-hand” honor for achievement both inside and outside the rodeo arena. Marty’s big brother, Mark Eakin, is in his seventh year as coach of the WTAMU wranglers.
"It was a great week, a total team effort and a thrill for all of us to bring a national championship back to West Texas A&M," Mark Eakin said.
WTAMU amassed 690 total points in all, easily outdistancing Wharton County Junior College, which was second with 530 points. Southwestern Oklahoma State University finished third with 525 points.
Cobb, a junior animal science major from Pampa, contributed 310 points to the cause, remaining under the five-second mark on all four steer-wrestling attempts. It was Cobb’s first appearance at the CNFR.
Same for Chad Mask, a freshman undeclared major from Amarillo, who brought 190 points to the table with a fourth-place effort in bareback riding.
Wes Burns, a junior agricultural business and economics major from Sedan, N.M., in his third CNFR, finished strong and in fifth place among the nation’s saddle-bronc riders. That gave WTAMU another 105 points. Burns had finished in 10th place in bronc riding each of his previous visits to the CNFR.
WTAMU received another 80 points from Marty Eakin, who was 19th in saddle-bronc competition. Eakin won the individual saddle-bronc title at the 2004 CNFR.
Jarett Stovall, a sophomore engineering technology major from Roswell,
N.M., placed 15th in tie-down roping, good for 5 points. Also for WTAMU,
James “Ike” Hanes, a junior marketing major from McLean, tied
for 43rd in team roping. 
