Beaverhead FFA Earns Top Honors at 96th Montana State Convention

Beaverhead FFA members delivered a standout performance at the 96th Montana State FFA Convention held last week in Great Falls, competing alongside more than 2,000 students representing 101 chapters from across the state.

The chapter earned multiple top honors, including a State Runner-up finish and Gold Award in the State Star Chapter competition, along with a 4th place finish in Overall Chapter Sweepstakes. Beaverhead was also recognized with the Montana Association of Agricultural Educators (MAAE) 2026 Outstanding Agricultural Education Program, an award voted on by agricultural educators statewide.

Individually, several Beaverhead students claimed top placements and state titles. Taylor Yecny was named the State Winner in Veterinary Science, while Leneva Miller earned State Winner honors in Horse Evaluation. Miller also placed second overall in the FFA Chapter Scrapbook competition.

The Veterinary Science team—Yecny, Savannah Nelson, Sam George, and Winona Wagoner—finished second overall. The Horse Evaluation team also placed second, with Nelson finishing third individually and Wagoner placing tenth.

Savannah Nelson advanced to the finals in Prepared Public Speaking, finishing fourth overall.

Additional team results included:

5th place Forestry

6th place Livestock Evaluation

7th place Ag Mechanics and Range Science

10th place Agronomy

12th place Meats Evaluation

18th place Farm Business Management

A total of 10 Beaverhead FFA members earned their State FFA Degrees, the highest honor available at the high school level. Those recipients included Billy Bob Barcomb, Ashlyn Burk, Guy Holt, Eli Johnson, Corban Lewellen, Camila Matamoros, Kenndyl Meine, Savannah Nelson, Aven Pflieger, and Winona Wagoner.

Several members were also recognized for their Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) projects. Kenndyl Meine was named a State Winner in Goat Production and earned Silver in Sheep Production. Wagoner received Gold in Veterinary Science, while Lewellen and Pflieger earned Silver and Bronze placements respectively.

Beyond competitions, Beaverhead students were active throughout the convention. Rowdy Mattison performed the National Anthem at the State FFA Degree Dinner in front of more than 750 attendees and served as flag bearer during the opening session. Meine contributed as part of the Convention Social Media Corps, helping share daily updates from the event.

Members also participated in industry tours, leadership workshops, and heard from retiring state officers, including Beaverhead’s own 2025–2026 State FFA Parliamentarian Savanna Freitas.

The strong showing highlights another successful year for Beaverhead FFA, with students continuing to excel in leadership, competition, and agricultural education at the state level.

Cover Photo Beaverhead FFA chapter Facebook page.