NCTA barrel racer is 2nd in nation

May 31, 2017

By Mary Crawford, NCTA News

CURTIS, Neb. – Barrel racer Lexus Kelsch won the Great Plains Region’s title for the 2016-2017 season, and the Nebraska of College of Technical graduate is second in national collegiate standings.

Kelsch, of McLaughlin, S.D., is an NCTA Aggie athlete with the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association and is headed to the College National Finals Rodeo June 11-17 at Casper, Wyoming.

She rode her horse, Tigger, to first-place rounds throughout the fall and spring rodeos, leading the Great Plains barrel racing standings all season and retaining her title from 2016.

“Lexus has had another great year with NCTA and the Great Plains Region as captain of our Aggie Women’s Team,” said Aggie Rodeo Coach Taylor Rossenbach. “We’ll be cheering her on at the finals.”

Kelsch will represent NCTA and the Great Plains Region at the CNFR at the Casper Events Center. The finals draw about 400 student athletes from more than 100 colleges and universities.

The top three students in each event, and the top men’s and women’s teams from NIRA’s 11 regions qualify.

Kelsch is second with 1,310 points and Leia Nicole Pluemer of the University of Nevada Las Vegas is first with 1,353.50 points.

“Tigger and I are preparing for the college finals and look forward to a competitive time in Casper,” said Kelsch, who is captain of the NCTA Women’s Team. “We are up at quite a few barrel racing events this summer and are looking to compete nationally into the fall and winter.”

Other Nebraska athletes are competing from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Mid-Plains Community College and Hastings College in the Great Plains Region, and Chadron State College in the Central Rocky Mountain Region.

Find athlete rankings at http://www.collegerodeo.com/ and information for Casper finals at cnfr.com.

For further information about NCTA rodeo or academic programs, see ncta.unl.edu or call 1-800-3CURTIS.