Feather River College Rodeo Caps Outstanding Season Hosting West Coast Region Finals; Four Cowboys Advance to CNFR and Zack Brown Named Coach of the Year
Feather River College proudly hosted the 2026 National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA) West Coast Region Finals Rodeo this past week in Quincy, California, bringing together the top collegiate rodeo athletes from across the region for one of the premier events of the year.
The National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA) serves as the governing body for collegiate rodeo across the United States and helps provide student-athletes the opportunity to compete at the highest level while pursuing their education. The West Coast Region is one of the most competitive regions in collegiate rodeo and includes many of the top programs and athletes in the country.
Feather River College athletes responded with exceptional performances on both days of competition.
During Day 1 of the West Coast Region Finals Rodeo, the Feather River College men’s team captured a first-place team finish, while the women’s team finished seventh overall. Sophomore Vinny Templeton earned Men’s All-Around honors after an impressive performance across multiple events. In Saddle Bronc Riding, Ian Livingstone claimed first place, Vinny Templeton finished fourth, and Brendan Mendosa placed sixth. In Bareback Riding, Templeton won the event while Ian Leavitt finished second. Hunter Maxwell added a second-place finish in Bull Riding, while Cache Montgomery won the Steer Wrestling competition. Ava Solberg and Wyatt Cox also contributed with an eighth-place finish in Team Roping.
On Day 2 of the regional finals, Feather River College once again showcased its depth and talent as the men’s team finished third overall. Templeton repeated as Men’s All-Around Champion for the day while winning the Bareback Riding competition and placing second in Saddle Bronc Riding. Ian Livingstone added another strong performance with a third-place finish in Saddle Bronc Riding, while Ian Leavitt again finished second in Bareback Riding. Chance Pimentel also earned points for the Golden Eagles with an eighth-place finish in Steer Wrestling.
The final 2026 NIRA West Coast Region standings highlighted another outstanding season for the Feather River College rodeo program.
The Feather River College men’s team finished third overall in the West Coast Region standings, narrowly missing a full team qualification to the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) by just 131.5 points. The women’s team finished eighth overall in the region.
Several Feather River College student-athletes earned top regional finishes, including:
- Ian Leavitt— 1st Place, Bareback Riding
• Vinny Templeton— 2nd Place, Bareback Riding and 8th Place Men’s All-Around
• Hunter Maxwell — 1st Place, Bull Riding
• Ian Livingstone — 3rd Place, Saddle Bronc Riding
• Vinny Templeton — 5th Place, Saddle Bronc Riding
• Brendan Mendosa — 6th Place, Saddle Bronc Riding
• Garrett Christiansen — 7th Place, Tie Down Roping
• Cache Montgomery — 5th Place, Steer Wrestling
• James Peterson — 6th Place, Steer Wrestling
• Jacob Burke — 5th Place, Bull Riding
Feather River College is proud to announce that four student-athletes have officially qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyoming this June. Ian Livingstone qualified in Saddle Bronc Riding, Ian Leavitt and Vinny Templeton qualified in Bareback Riding, and Hunter Maxwell qualified in Bull Riding.
The Golden Eagles came within just a few points of qualifying an entire men’s team for the national finals while also narrowly missing additional qualifications in Steer Wrestling. The team’s strong finish continues Feather River College’s proud tradition of excellence within collegiate rodeo.
A major highlight of the weekend came with the announcement that Feather River College Head Coach Zack Brown had been selected as the NIRA West Coast Region Coach of the Year. Brown’s leadership, commitment, and tireless efforts have helped build and sustain one of the premier collegiate rodeo programs in the region. In addition to coaching a nationally competitive team, Brown successfully led the efforts to host one of the largest and most important rodeo events of the collegiate season.
Feather River College congratulates all of its student-athletes, coaches, staff, volunteers, and supporters on an incredible season and wishes its CNFR qualifiers the very best as they prepare to compete on the national stage in Casper, Wyoming.
Complete West Coast Region standings can be viewed through the NIRA at:
https://collegerodeo.com/standings/west-coast-region-standings/
Fans can also view the Feather River College Regional Finals photo gallery at:
https://athletics.frc.edu/sports/rodeo/2025-26/photos/0007/index
