The best in the West are from West – West Alabama, that is.

The University of West Alabama women’s wrangling team won the College National Finals Rodeo championship over the weekend. It was the team’s first national championship.

The Tigers beat out 325 other teams from across the country at the competition in Casper, Wyo.

“This is an exciting time for our team, school and town,” UWA head coach Daniel Poole said. “These ladies worked so unbelievably hard to get to this point.”

“It took an army to accomplish this, but it needs to be said that none of it would have been possible without Coach (Lucas) Brown, Coach (Ryder) Ladner and those other 10 ladies cheering us on from home.”

UWA had 698.3 points with Montana State in second with 593.3, Wyoming was third with 382.5 points, in fourth place was Southwest Oklahoma State with 340 points, and rounding out the top five was Texas A&M with 325.

West Alabama’s Taycie Matthews won an individual national title in barrel racing.

JT Ellison of the men’s team won a national title in steer wrestling.

“I have watched JT for four years pour his heart and soul into it,” Poole said. “That is why he is national champion. It’s a special moment watching his hard work pay off.”

Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.