ENMU ATHLETICS NEWS Greyhound Trio Represents Eastern at NIRA Finals By Todd Fuqua
NIRA. Jackson won the regional steer wrestling title, Marr was second in barrel racing and Schauer was third in goat tying. Coach Flinn said the competition in the Southwest Region is fierce, making the Greyhounds’ appearance at nationals quite the achievement.
Madelyn Schauer
Trey Jackson
Shacie Marr
You can ask any rodeo competitor, amateur or pro – just getting to the national finals is a significant accomplishment. It’s an feat three Eastern New Mexico University team members can boast about following the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association National Finals (NIRA) in June in Casper, Wyoming. Freshman Shacie Marr (attending) in barrel racing, senior Madelyn Schauer (attending) in goat tying and recent graduate Trey Jackson (BBA 21) in steer wrestling each represented ENMU well, even if they weren’t atop the standings by rodeo’s end. “They did as well as they could, given the circumstances,” said ENMU rodeo coach Albert Flinn (MBA 70, BBA 68). “To get three to go to nationals, given what was happening this year with the pandemic, is a success.” The Greyhound trio earned a spot in the finals with top-three finishes in their respective events in the Southwest region of the
At nationals, there were 45 competitors in each event, and they were sometimes subject to the luck of the draw or a slight miscalculation. “Shacie could have been in the finals,” Flinn said. Marr would have had the lead after the second run but for a fallen barrel in the first round. “Madelyn could have finished a lot higher but just went too long on her fourth try,” Flinn said. “For Trey, it was a tough rodeo. He didn’t draw [steers] well.” Schauer had the best finish of the three Greyhounds, taking seventh overall in her event against 44 other competitors. She was fifth after three rounds. What makes Flinn proud is how the three performed as students in their academic year. “Shacie and Madelyn are 4.0 students, and Trey graduated with a high grade point average,” Flinn said. “Besides being great rodeo athletes, they’re also great students. Trey graduated in four years, which is a real challenge when you’re competing in 40 rodeos.”
Athletic Leadership Changes Eastern New Mexico scored a major coup when it landed Dr. Paul Weir as its next director of Athletics. Weir comes to Portales, New Mexico, after having been the only person to be the head men’s basketball coach at both the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University.He is currently an adjunct faculty member for UNM’s Anderson School of Management. New ENMU Head Football Coach Tye Hiatt comes to Portales from Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. As the offensive coordinator, he helped Shepherd post a 10-3 record and secure a spot in the NCAA Division II playoffs.
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Green & Silver | September 2021
By Todd Fuqua
He takes over a program that had success under coach Kelley Lee, winning the 2019 Heritage Bowl before the COVID-19 pandemic effectively canceled all practice and competition on the ENMU campus. Coach Abbey Barnum took on the women’s soccer position in March of 2020, while Coach Brent Owen was named men’s basketball coach in May of 2020. Neither have coached the Greyhounds in a game due to COVID restrictions but worked during the 2020–2021 school year to keep their athletes focused and ready to compete when their respective seasons kick off this coming academic year.
