RAPID CITY - The National American University men's rodeo team may not have won the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association's Great Plains region this year, but that is no reason for them to lower their expectations any heading into the 2007 College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyo.

"I think our men have as good a shot as anybody to win when we get down there," National American head coach Glen Lammers said. "We've got some good experience heading to Casper and anything can happen."

Lammers feels the Mavericks, the 15th-ranked team in the nation, are in a group with just about every team at the CNFR, a group with a bunch of good cowboys.

"Tarleton State (Texas) and Panhandle State (Okla.) are always both teams to beat down there," Lammers said. "But that's the thing about this rodeo, there's so many good teams and competitors that on any given day or week somebody could win it.

"Nobody's there accidentally."

The Maverick men finished second in their region to Dickinson State and will be taking five cowboys to the Casper Events Center. They are Tyler Thiel, the second-ranked all-around cowboy in the Great Plains region; Nick Guy, the third-ranked all-arounder in the region; O.J. Heidler, one of the top saddle bronc riders in the country; Adam Mueller, fifth in the region in tie down roping; and Chance Schuknecht, the top heading team roper in the Great Plains region.

Lammers feels the quintet has as much of a shot at the top spots in their respective events as anyone else, which would give the collective a shot at a team title.

"We've got some really good cowboys with all-around talent," Lammers said. "If things go right for them there's no reason that they shouldn't expect to challenge for a national title."

Thiel, the second-ranked calf roper in the country, heads to the CNFR with dreams of an individual national title dancing in his head.

But Thiel's not the only threat to win on the Maverick team. O.J. Heidler, the top-ranked saddle bronc rider in the Great Plains region, heads back to Casper after a 27th place finish at last year's national finals. Heidler is looking to improve on that finish at this year's CNFR.

"It's jump for jump, horse for horse, you kind of have to take it in stride," Heidler said. "If you d too much planning you can set yourself up for failure. There's going to be a lot of good contestants and a lot of good horses, it's going to kind of be the luck of the draw, as it is in any rodeo."

Heidler's view heading into the CNFR, his fourth and final one as a senior, is to lay everything on the line.

"I'm of course going in with the intent to win it," Heidler said. "It's a bigger rodeo but I'm treating it like I do any rodeo, like it's the 10th round of the NFR. I'm going in with the attitude that every horse I get on, I'm giving it a 100 percent effort. Whether I get bucked off or I cover I want to know that I did everything in my own power."

The rodeo, which has contestants from 11 different NIRA regions, begins Monday at 1 p.m. and runs through Saturday night. There are 128 NIRA member schools.

Contact Padraic Duffy at 394-8429 or padraic.duffy@rapidcityjournal.com