Kaden Profili, a member of the Texas A&M University-Commerce Rodeo Team, secured a National Championship in the Team Roping event at the 2024 College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR). Profili, a senior majoring in agricultural science and technology from Jacksonville, Texas, achieved this victory as the team's heeler, partnered with James Arviso of Hill College.
This win marked Profili's fourth CNFR appearance and his first national title, with his previous best finish being 12th. In Team Roping, two cowboys – a “header” and “heeler” – rope a steer in the fastest time possible. Profili and Arviso finished with a cumulative time of 31.6 seconds across four rounds. Their second-round time of 4.1 seconds is among the fastest in CNFR history.
Profili's horse, Gunna Be an Angel, also known as “Grace,” was honored as the Overall Men's Horse of the Year and Horse of the Year in the Team Roping event by the American Quarter Horse Association.
This victory marks the third consecutive year that an A&M-Commerce rodeo student-athlete has won a National Championship at CNFR. Previous champions include Kincade Henry in Tiedown Roping (2023) and Bryana Lehrmann in Breakaway Roping and Women's All-Around (2022). This is also the second consecutive year that an A&M-Commerce rodeo horse received the Men's Horse of the Year title, following Cutter Carpenter's horse “Twix” in 2023.
Also competing at this year's CNFR were A&M-Commerce students Addie Weil and Rylee George in the Breakaway Roping event. Weil, a sophomore from Edna, Kansas, double majoring in animal science and biological sciences, finished 25th. George, a graduate student from Oakdale, California, majoring in agricultural sciences, finished 37th in her fourth CNFR appearance.
A&M-Commerce Rodeo Head Coach Dameon White commended the team's performances, highlighting Profili's consistency and the efforts of Weil and George throughout the season.
Learn more about Rodeo at A&M-Commerce.
