Heartland junior Ty Spickelmier has been named this month’s HeartlandBeat Student of the Month. His accomplishments are a bit unusual for this area and why he was nominated by Heartland Community High School Principal Tim Carr.  Not only is Spickelmier a successful student/athlete, he is also an accomplished calf roper.
Spickelmier made the news a few times this summer for his accomplishments in individual calf roping and team roping at the Nebraska State High School competition. He went on to compete at the National High School Rodeo event held in Rock Springs, Wyoming, where he placed 9th overall in calf roping.
“It was a good experience for me at the national level to see how I measured up to the best competitors that are usually from Wyoming, Texas, and Oklahoma,†said Spickelmier. He learned that he has what it takes to compete at a high level, and as a result, he has decided to work towards winning the event next year. In order to accomplish that, he practices everyday that is possible trying to improve his calf roping skills.
That can be a bit difficult when this cowboy also competes in high school football, basketball, plays in the band, and is a member of FFA. “It’s kind of complicated when I have football practice every day to make it out to the arena,†said Spickelmier. Looking beyond high school, he plans on competing in rodeo at the college level and hopes to be awarded a scholarship.
His parents Wayne and Stannette moved south of Henderson over a year ago from Imperial, Nebraska, and are very involved in helping their son accomplish his goals. His older brother Miles also was active in rodeo roping and has helped teach Spickelmier over the years. He also credits his horse, Tater, a 12-year-old quarter horse that was trained by his family for his success.
“Ty has been able to compete year-round in calf roping and still be a Heartland athlete all while maintaining his grades,†said Carr. Congratulations to Ty Spickelmier for being such a great role model at Heartland!
Written by Shannon Siebert
