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| Spotlight on Youth - Nov. 12, 2008 |
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Michigan FFA team 1st, 4-H team 2nd at All-American
Dairy Judging Contest
EAST LANSING, Mich. — It could be said that this year’s Michigan FFA dairy cattle judging team was a team of “firsts” – first place overall, first place in oral reasons, and first place as a team in the Ayrshire, Holstein and Jersey breeds at the 40th annual Invitational Youth Dairy Cattle Judging Contest held during the 45th annual All-American Dairy Show in Harrisburg, Pa., in late September.
Team members were K.T. Arndt, Michigan State University (MSU) freshman studying advertising from Ovid; Sarah Mann, MSU freshman majoring in animal science; J.W. Hart, a high school junior from North Adams; and Brittany Westendorp, a high school junior from Nashville. Each team member finished among the top 10 individually overall and for oral reasons.
Mann was named high individual overall and in oral reasons, and she placed first in Jerseys, second in Holsteins, third in Ayrshires and fifth in Brown Swiss. Teammate Arndt was second high individual in oral reasons and finished third overall. She was also second high individual in both Ayrshires and Brown Swiss, fourth in Holsteins and eighth in Jerseys.
Westendorp was named high individual for the Holstein breed; additionally, she was third in Jerseys, fourth in oral reasons and 10th individual overall. Hart was second high individual in Jerseys, fourth highest overall and ninth in oral reasons.
Nine teams competed in the FFA division of the dairy cattle judging contest. Michigan beat out the second highest placing team from Pennsylvania by a staggering 109 points. Kentucky finished third, Georgia placed fourth and Virginia was fifth.
In the 4-H contest, the team from Michigan placed second overall, losing out to first place Florida by four points. The 4-H team won the Holstein breed and placed second in Brown Swiss and third in both Guernseys and Jerseys. Fourteen teams competed in the 4-H division.
Members of the Michigan 4-H team were Emily Butcher, an MSU sophomore majoring in agriculture and natural resources communications from Owosso; Casie Hart, a high school sophomore from Grass Lake; Matthew Mann, a high school junior from Hillsdale; and Marshall Wixom, a high school sophomore from Bloomingdale.
Individually, Butcher was third high overall and in oral reasons, second in Holsteins, third in Jerseys, eighth in Guernseys and ninth in Brown Swiss. Mann placed fourth overall, third in Holsteins and 10th in Brown Swiss. Wixom was fifth in Holsteins and 13th overall.
Seventeen teams competed in the collegiate division. Virginia Tech won the contest and Cornell University placed second.
MSU finished 11th overall. Team members were sisters Heather and Jessica Fry from Blanchard, an MSU sophomore majoring in kinesiology and an MSU junior majoring in animal science, respectively; Ashley Messing, an MSU junior majoring in animal science from Bad Axe; and Gail Carpenter, an MSU junior majoring in animal science from Dansville.
Messing earned a perfect score of 50 on a set of oral reasons. She finished ninth in Holsteins and 25th overall. Jessica Fry was 10th high in Guernseys, and Heather Fry was third high in Brown Swiss.
Nearly 160 youth representing 40 teams competed in the 2008 4-H, FFA and collegiate dairy cattle judging contests.
Individual and team placings are based on the total number of points received after judging 10 classes, presenting several sets of oral reasons and completing a linear evaluation class.
“The professional and social skills learned during this process will be useful in these young people’s future, regardless of the professions they choose,” says Joe Domecq, specialist in the MSU Department of Animal Science and dairy judging coach.
“Learning how to judge dairy cattle and then orally defend your placing in front of an expert is not an easy skill to master. It’s a real testament to these students’ hard work ethic.”
Members of the Michigan 4-H and FFA teams are initially selected on the basis of their individual dairy judging contest scores received in the summer at Michigan Dairy Expo, the state’s largest dairy event.
ASA scholarship due Nov. 15
ST. LOUIS, Mo. — The American Soybean Association is pleased to offer a $5,000 scholarship for the 2009-2010 school year to a high school senior who plans to declare agriculture as a degree area of study at any accredited college or university.
The award is to be used directly for tuition/fees/books not to exceed $2,500 each semester. Applicants must be the child or grandchild of a current ASA/state soybean association member, have a minimum 3.0 high school GPA to apply, and maintain a 2.5 college GPA to receive the full amount of the scholarship.
In addition to these requirements, standardized test scores will be considered. Applicants must also complete an essay (maximum 500 words) and provide two letters of recommendation. One letter from an authority dealing directly with the student’s academic progress or area of study, and one personal letter of recommendation.
Applicants will be judged on a combination of High School GPA, ACT/SAT standardized test score, extracurricular/leadership activities, response to the essay question, and the letters of recommendation. Only one award per household is available during the life of the scholarship.
The deadline to apply is Nov. 15, 2008 and the winner will be selected in December.
All interested applicants should visit www.soygrowers.com/soy to apply on-line, or download an application. Or contact Michelle Siegel, ASA corporate development manager at 1-800-688-7692 ext. 1328 or msiegel@soy.org |
| 11/12/2008 |
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