MURRAY, Ky. - Emily Fugate's win in breakaway roping helped the Northwest women's rodeo team capture third place at the Murray State Rodeo over the weekend, the Lady Rangers' highest finish of the season.

Fugate accounted for 155 of the 210 team points for Northwest. The team's third place result is the highest in the program's history since at least the 2012-13 season. 

Northwest was one of nine teams to place in the NIRA Ozark Region's fall finale, earning a higher finish than other programs, such as UT-Martin, Southern Arkansas and Missouri Valley College. West Alabama won the weekend with 325 team points, followed by Murray State's 245 total.

Fugate, a native of Baker, Fla., collected 35 points in the opening round and a time of 2.6. She picked up 60 additional points in the short-go and another 60 in the average, accounting for her 155 total. She finished just 20 points higher than second-place finisher Addi Williams (Missouri Valley College) and 25 more than the third-place finisher, Neely Clendenin (Murray State).

In goat tying, Delaney Naifeh also had a solid weekend, rebounding from an 8.1 score in the opening round to a 7.6 result in the second round. The Covington, Tenn. native earned 45 points in the short-go and 10 more in the average, finishing the weekend with 55 points. 

Northwest did not place in the men's standings.

The 2024-25 season will resume later in the spring, with that portion of the schedule yet to be released.