2026 Wyoming State FFA Convention: Wyoming FFA members gathered to celebrate accomplishments and elect new leadership
The 2026 Wyoming State FFA Convention was held in Cheyenne April 8-11, where more than 2,200 FFA members, advisors, alumni and other supporters gathered to celebrate accomplishments and elect new state officers.
Themed “Elevate,” FFA members from across Wyoming competed for titles in career development events, participated in leadership workshops and vied for a spot on the association’s officer team, as well as a chance to represent Wyoming at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Ind. in October.
Outstanding chapters
During the convention, students and chapters are recognized for their accomplishments in community service, leadership and industry promotion throughout the year, earning a rank from gold to superior.
This year, 51 out of 64 – a whopping 80 percent – completed the National Chapter Award process.
Chapters earning gold recognition include Bearlodge Sundance FFA, Big Country FFA, Big Springs FFA, Bow River FFA, Buffalo FFA, Burlington FFA, Burns FFA, Casper FFA, Frontier FFA, Chief Washakie FFA, Clear Creek FFA, Coal Country FFA, Encampment FFA, Evanston FFA, Gillette FFA, Glenrock FFA, Green River FFA, Greybull FFA, John B. Kendrick FFA, Kaycee FFA, Little Snake River FFA, Lovell FFA, Paintrock FFA, Riverton FFA, Shoshoni FFA, Ten Sleep FFA, Thermopolis FFA, Tongue River Valley FFA, Torrington-Lingle FFA, Upton FFA, Whitcomb FFA and Windy City FFA.
Chapters earning silver recognition include Buffalo Bill FFA, CY Middle School FFA, High Plains FFA, Jim Bridger FFA, Meeteetse FFA, Pine Bluffs FFA, Powell-Shoshone FFA, Saddle and Sirloin FFA, Snowy Range FFA, Wheatland FFA and Wright FFA.
Horse Creek Middle School FFA, Lyman FFA, Rock Mountain FFA, Saratoga FFA and Worland Middle School FFA earned bronze recognition, while Southeast FFA and Star Valley FFA earned superior recognition.
Additionally, Wyoming FFA recognizes chapters dominating each area of competition – agriscience, proficiency and career development.
Chief Washakie FFA took home two of the three honors, winning both the Proficiency and Agriscience Sweepstakes.
The Career Development Sweepstakes winner was Snowy Range FFA, and the Middle School Sweepstakes champion was Rawhide FFA.
Each year, Wyoming’s Chapter of the Year is also awarded by the Wyoming FFA State Officer Team, representing the highest level of excellence in leadership, engagement and impact. This year, Frontier FFA of East High School in Cheyenne was chosen as the 2026 Wyoming FFA Chapter of the Year.
The 2026 Wyoming FFA Champion Ag Teacher was also crowned during the convention, and Rose McGivney of Kaycee FFA was the honoree.
Champion teams and high individuals
Over the course of the week, Wyoming FFA members compete in a wide range of career development events from poultry evaluation to conduct of chapter meetings and everything in between.
This year, the Poultry Evaluation State Champion Team was Snowy Range FFA, and team member James Vasek was named the high individual in the category. The Middle School Poultry Evaluation State Champion Team was Big Springs FFA, and the high individual in the middle school contest was Tra Bauder of Casper FFA.
Fellow Snowy Range FFA member Reese Senior took top honors as the Livestock Evaluation High Individual, while the John B. Kendrick FFA chapter was named the Livestock Evaluation State Champion Team.
In the middle school livestock evaluation contest, Roanan Evans of Burns FFA was named high individual, and Riverton FFA took home champion middle school team honors.
Riverton FFA’s high school team continued the winning streak, earning top honors in the horse evaluation contest, while Burns FFA’s middle school team was crowned champion in their division.
Burns FFA member Kinley Snell helped lead the team to victory while also earning honors as the 2026 Middle School Horse Evaluation High Individual.
Additionally, the Horse Evaluation High Individual from a high school chapter was Hannah Wilmes of Casper FFA.
In Agricultural Education, Talia Kinberg of Torrington-Lingle FFA was the high individual in the high school division, and Jansen Hornecker of St. Anthony’s FFA was the high individual in the middle school division.
In Agricultural Sales, Torrington-Lingle FFA was named the state championship team, while Thermopolis FFA member Kaycee Stothart earned honors as the high individual.
In Farm Business Management, Casper FFA was crowned the state champion team, and Casper FFA member Trever Campbell was named the 2026 Farm Business Management High Individual.
In Agricultural Technology and Mechanical Systems, Clay Daly of Glendo FFA was the high individual in the middle school division, leading Glendo FFA to a state champion team finish. In the high school division, Justin Sullivan of Buffalo FFA was the high individual, and Encampment FFA was the 2026 Agricultural Technology and Mechanical Systems Champion Team.
Additionally, Frontier FFA finished the week as the 2026 Marketing Plan State Champion Team, while Snowy Range FFA took home honors as both the Conduct of Chapter Meetings State Champion Team and the Parliamentary Procedure State Champion Team.
During the Greenhand Quizbowl, Gillette’s FFA chapters swept the competition.
Brylee Styvar was the high individual in the high school division, leading her chapter to the top of the podium as the 2026 Greenhand Quizbowl State Champion Team. In the middle school division, Marille Deegan was the high individual, and the Gillette FFA middle school chapter finished at the top of the leaderboard as well.
Stars in agriculture
In addition to a week of competition, the State FFA Degree recognizes the hard work senior FFA members put into their Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) projects, classroom work and community service throughout their FFA career.
Of the members earning a State FFA Degree, students with exceptional projects become star candidates in the achievement areas of agriscience, agribusiness, agricultural placement and star farmer.
This year, Brody Medina of Frontier FFA received the State Star in Agriscience, Brylee Styvar of Gillette FFA received the State Star in Agribusiness, Corbin Williams of Bow River FFA received the State Star in Placement and the Star Farmer was Kruze Forshee of Ten Sleep FFA.
2026-27 State
Officer Team
On top of participating in workshops and competitions, some of the state’s top youth leaders also vie for a spot on the state officer team throughout the week of the convention.
On April 11, a new team of student officers was elected to serve as the Wyoming FFA State Officer Team.
The new team includes President Brylee Styvar of Gillette FFA, Vice President Xander Depew of John B. Kendrick FFA, Second Vice President Regan Allen of Frontier FFA, Third Vice President Trever Campbell of Casper FFA, Secretary Dani Santee of Riverton FFA, Treasurer Tosha Kenyon of Riverton FFA, Reporter Colton Smith of John B. Kendrick FFA, Sentinel Josie Despain of Snowy Range FFA and Parliamentarian Corbin Williams of Bow River FFA.
Hannah Bugas is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
