WALLA WALLA, Wash. – After being forced to cancel the remainder of the 2020 spring season due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association is gearing up for a return to action by releasing the full list of fall events for its specific regions.

Northwest competes in the Ozark Region of the NIRA and will begin the season at Missouri Valley College from Sept. 17-19. From there, the rodeo Rangers will compete at West Alabama on Sept. 24-26 before a two-week hiatus in early October.

Northwest will resume the fall schedule on Oct. 15-17 at Three Rivers College in Sikeston, Mo. before traveling to Southern Arkansas on Oct. 29-31. The Rangers will then conclude the fall portion of the schedule on Nov. 12-14 at Murray State University.

Despite losing top bull rider Jacob Hodges to region rival West Alabama, the Rangers will return several key faces from last season including team roper and National College Finals Rodeo qualifier Cade Cowan. Cowan will also return with his team roping partner Cannon Smith of Three Rivers College. Together, the duo held a third place season ranking in the Ozark Region for the team roping event.

"Due to last season being cut short, I wanted to come back for one more season," Cowan said, on his decision to return for a third year of eligibility. "I will be pursuing another degree at Northwest this year while trying to make the College National Finals Rodeo one more time while representing the Rangers."

Also returning to the Rangers this season are barrel racer Cody Dowell and breakaway Logan Tomlinson, both also members of the Northwest women's soccer program. Another barrel racer, Caroline Crawford, also returns to the program after an impressive freshman season. 

Bull riders Beau Ary and Ethan Keelin round out the returning sophomores. 

Incoming freshman include five barrel racers - Anna Clair Johnston (Independence), Mary Gracin Johnston (Independence), Kyndal Key (Magnolia Heights), Sloane Sheppard (Magnolia Heights) and Gracen McClain (Pinson, Tenn.) - and a pair of bull riders in Cody Gilbert (Floresville, Texas) and Jacorey Golden (Houston). 

Northwest was in position to have three qualifiers for the College National Finals Rodeo last season before the remaining schedule was shut down as a result of the then-emerging COVID-19 outbreak. Hodges, Cowan and Crawford all had chances to qualify and would have become the first national rodeo participants in coach Shelli Benton's tenure and the first representing the Rangers since Ben Cullum in 2014.

For more on the Northwest rodeo program, follow the Rangers on Twitter (@NWCC_Rangers and @NWCCRodeo).