Rodeo Student Michael Ortega shines at Mesalands Community College

TUCUMCARI, NM (12/02/2011)(readMedia)-- Michael Ortega of Belen, NM, is one of four rodeo team members at Mesalands Community College who received the honor of being named a 2011 Academic All-American recipient by the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. This honor is bestowed to students that have a 3.5 cumulative grade point average and qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR).

"We are very proud of Michael and what he has accomplished while at Mesalands," C.J. Aragon, Intercollegiate Rodeo Coach at Mesalands Community College said. "He has definitely taken advantage of the many opportunities Mesalands has to offer, both academically and in the rodeo arena."

Ortega is a sophomore at Mesalands majoring in Animal Science and competes in team roping. At the 2011 CNFR, Ortega and Dominic Silva of Los Lunas, NM, took 19th in team roping. The Men's Rodeo Team is currently ranked second in the region and third in the national standings.

The next rodeo competition for the Mesalands Rodeo Team will be at the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ February 4, 2012.

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Additional information about the Mesalands Community College's Rodeo Team can be obtained at 911 South Tenth Street in Tucumcari, or at (575) 461-4413, or on the web at www.mesalands.edu.