Turnover is just a fact of college athletics, and rodeo is no different.

The Maverick's women's team is feeling the pinch of losing two of their leaders from the 23-24 campaign that landed them in the top 5 of the nation.

After losing seniors Izzy Yama and National Champion McKenna Clingman, the Mavericks looked to Sophomore Haylee Stroud of Idaho and Senior Transfer Shea Grogan of Fort Collins to contribute to the team points this season in a bid for their third consecutive team qualification to the CNFR. Those are big shoes to fill. While the first two rodeos of the season saw the defending regional champs hold the number one ranking, a hot weekend by Idaho State University pushed them ahead of the Mavericks, dropping out of the coveted first position for the first time in over a year. Grogan, once ranked individually in the top-5 in Goat Tying of the Grand Canyon region during her time at Mesa Lands Community College sits at the number 10 spot with only 45 points. Stroud, projected as an early season contender in the Breakaway, has yet to record a point in her signature event, but has done work making up for that with her early season success in the team roping, making the short round in two of the first three rodeos partnered up with her teammate, Freshman Josie Fitzsimmons.

Fitzsimmons has been an exceptional bright spot amongst an exciting freshman class, combing her team roping points with additional points from the breakaway, as well as a short round qualification in Goat tying, despite the fact that she had no experience in that discipline before stepping foot on the CMU facility.

Senior Justise Jones is currently prevailing in the goat tying, winning a rain-soaked Spartan Stampede this last week, and proving that her consistency and experience are the factors that currently hold her above the freshman phenom Samantha Donovan of Southern Utah University, but it's obvious from watching this year's events so far that it is anything but a two-contestant race. Idaho State transfer Taylar Jo Smith and former CNFR qualifier Ashley Barratt of Utah Valley will be contenders all season, while Maverick Wylee Mitchell, mostly known for her success in the barrel racing, has already exceeded her personal goat tying season record for points three rodeos in, and is widely announcing that she is on a mission for an all-around berth where Jones, her teammate, should be her biggest competition, but as of yet hasn't earned any points in either her second or third events, breakaway or team roping.

The Mavericks travel to the Cache County Fairgrounds and Utah State University in Logan, Utah this weekend, looking to capitalize on only two rodeos left in the fall season before the 4 month off season leading into the spring of 2025.