OSU Livestock Judging Team earns national championship
Friday, December 3, 2010
“This accomplishment adds to the tradition of national championships awarded to OSU Livestock Judging Team members from the past,” said Mark Johnson, team coach and associate professor of animal science. “In addition to the overall championship, our OSU team was also the contest’s high-scoring team in the reasons, beef cattle and sheep categories.”
In a NAILE press release, Steve Spivey, associate superintendent of the national contest, said participants “must have dedication above and beyond,” comparing the involvement level of team members to that of college sports such as basketball or baseball.
“The performance of our livestock judging teams reflects the high quality and dedication of our students, the talent and effort of Dr. Johnson in coaching the team and the ability of our program to teach students how to think critically and then orally justify their rankings in a high-pressure environment,” said Ron Kensinger, head of OSU’s department of animal science.
Team members are all OSU animal science majors. Individual honors and recognition in the contest and its competition categories were earned by:
● Clint Mefford, a native of Central Point, Ore., who earned high individual honors in swine, placed third in reasons, fifth in cattle and finished as the contest’s second-high individual overall;
● Kayle Kerbs, a native of Saratoga, Wis., who earned high individual honors in cattle, placed second in reasons, eighth in sheep and finished as the contest’s third-high individual overall;
● Chase Reed, a native of Winfield, Kan., who placed third in cattle and 10th in reasons;
● Garrett Knebel, a native of Winamac, Ind., who placed fourth in cattle and sixth in reasons; and
● Darin Annuschat, a native of Kingfisher, Okla., who finished as 12th-high individual overall.
The OSU Livestock Judging Team also was recognized as having four Academic All-Americans: Knebel; Megan Bryant, a native of Pawnee, Okla.; Jett Eder, a native of Sharon Springs, Kan.; and Michael McCusker-Kinna, a native of Middleton, Md.
“As educators, we’re always pleased to see the hard work of our students recognized with such tangible and visible awards,” Kensinger said.