EPHRAIM – Athletic director Rob Nielson has announced that Snow College, Ephraim, Utah, has begun assembling an Intercollegiate Rodeo Team which will begin competition this fall. Nielson said the coeducational team will compete in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA) competitions in the Rocky Mountain Region.
     Kendra Sagers has been named as head coach and is currently looking nationwide to find student athletes to comprise the team. “We are so excited to have this team up and running,” said Sagers who has 20 years' experience training and coaching rodeo athletes. Planning to find the best student athletes available right out of the chute, Sagers added, “We are looking forward to being competitive in NIRA competition this fall.”
     The Rocky Mountain Region of NIRA includes Utah schools UVU, USU, SUU and Weber State, along with Idaho State and Colorado Mesa, as well as regular Snow opponents Southern Idaho and Colorado Northwestern. The Rocky Mountain is one of 11 regions nationally, and is highly respected with Southern Idaho currently leading the national men's team standings and Idaho State leading the women's team standings. Individual events include saddle bronc, bareback and bull riding, along with tie down, breakaway and team roping, as well as steer wrestling, barrel racing and goat tying.
     Sagers competed as a student for Snow College when rodeo was a non-sanctioned sport. The Utah native has competed in rodeo her entire life, competing in barrel racing, goat tying and breakaway roping in college. While in high school she additionally competed in pole bending, cutting and rodeo queen events and qualified for the National High School Finals. Sagers, who continues to run barrels in jackpot and amateur rodeo competitions, has worked in the Snow College Academic Advising office as well as being an instructor at the college “I'm so excited about the addition of a rodeo team,” Sagers said.  “I look forward to building a strong rodeo program here at Snow.”
     Snow should be an attractive location for student athletes in rodeo according to Sagers. Conveniently located in central Utah, Snow will have less travel time to NIRA rodeos than most other schools. In addition to excellent outdoor facilities in Ephraim, indoor arenas 15 minutes north in Mount Pleasant and 40 minutes south in Salina will offer the team year-round practice and competition sites.
   This location also allows for the availability of year-round rodeos and jackpots for competition and practice.  Snow College, known for its high academic standards and for student success, will enable Sagers to attract students looking for a rewarding scholastic experience. “Students who love the sport of rodeo and want a great education now have an appealing college option here at Snow,” Sagers said.
      Jay Olsen, Director of Agriculture and Farm/Ranch Management at Snow, added, “In the last few months as word has spread of rodeo coming to Snow College, I have received numerous phone calls from rodeo athletes from around the state and neighboring states inquiring about Snow College and their opportunity to rodeo while getting their education.”
     Snow College is the oldest two-year college west of the Mississippi and is celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2013. This past year Snow was named No. 6 nationally by CNN Money in its list of the best two-year colleges in the U.S. for value and was named in the Top Ten by the Aspen Institute for student success. Snow currently competes in interscholastic athletics in football, volleyball, men's and women's basketball and softball.
 
-- Doug Johnson, Snow College Sports Information Dept., Ephraim, UT (435) 283-7320