AMES, Iowa — Iowa State University student teams won the overall award among four-year institutions at the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) Judging Conference April 8-10.
The Sweepstakes Award was presented for the Iowa State teams’ good showing in 10 agricultural subject matter contests at the conference, which was hosted by Black Hawk College in Moline, Illinois. There were 823 contestants at the conference competing on 26 teams from four-year schools and 25 from two-year schools.
Teams competing in several agricultural categories were judged as a group and individual team members were ranked as well. The ISU Ag Knowledge Bowl team won first place for the fifth year in a row. Teams ranked first in agricultural communications, agribusiness, crops and meat animal and livestock management. Teams were second overall in ag computer skills, livestock judging, dairy judging and horticulture. The soil judging team ranked fifth.
The ISU teams’ in each contest category, the members by hometown and student’s overall ranking, if any, were:
Ag Communications
NEW SHARON—Allie Ferguson, agronomy junior
PLEASANTVILLE—Bailey Core, agricultural education and studies senior
TULON, Illinois—Elizabeth Heaton, agricultural business senior
MINERAL POINT, Wisconsin—Morgan Pittz, animal science junior
Ag Computers
MUSCATINE—Giddian Kappeler, animal science junior, eighth
RUDD—Leo Kruse, ag studies junior, fourth
POCAHONTAS, Illinois—Jacob Weis, agricultural engineering junior, first
LIVINGSTON, Wisconsin—Jacob Yelinek, animal science junior, seventh
Ag Knowledge Bowl
TINGLEY—Christian Overholtzer, agronomy senior
WHAT CHEER—Adam Striegel, agronomy junior
TRIVOLI, Illinois—Lucas Roberts, agronomy and genetics junior
LAMBERTON, Minnesota—Casey Engen, agronomy sophomore
MONTELLO, Wisconsin—Eric Coddington, agronomy sophomore
Agribusiness
COLUMBUS JUNCTION—Natalina Sents, ag business junior, seventh
ELGIN—Geordan Hanson, ag business sophomore, first
GRANGER—Nate Christenson, ag business, agronomy and economics sophomore, second
JANESVILLE—Meghan Mills, ag business junior, fifth
ST. ANSGAR—Hailey Meitner, ag business senior, fourth
Crops
AMES—Jacob Lamkey, agronomy senior
GRANGER—Nate Christenson, ag business, agronomy and economics sophomore
PELLA—Landon VanDyke agronomy sophomore
TINGLEY—Christian Overholtzer, agronomy senior
WHAT CHEER—Adam Striegel, agronomy junior, fifth
TRIVOLI, Illinois—Lucas Roberts, agronomy and genetics junior, third
LAMBERTON, Minnesota—Casey Engen, agronomy sophomore, second
RENFREW, Pennsylvania—Katie Rutledge, ag business, agronomy, international agriculture and seed science
KAUFMAN, Texas—David Fussnecker, ag engineer and agronomy junior
MONTELLO, Wisconsin—Eric Coddington, first overall, agronomy sophomore
Dairy Judging
IDA GROVE—Jeremy Maass, animal science junior, seventh
IOWA CITY—Kyle Ruth, agricultural business senior, second
HIGHLAND, Illinois—Dan Ammann, animal science junior, third
DARLINGTON, Wisconsin—Levi Wedig, animal science junior, fourth
Horticulture
SCHLESWIG—Katharina Wigg, agronomy senior
CRYSTAL LAKE, Illinois—Brandon Miller, horticulture and agronomy senior, first
TRIVOLI, Illinois—Lucas Roberts, agronomy and genetics junior
Livestock Judging
IDA GROVE—Jeremy Maass, animal science junior
MUSCATINE—Giddian Kappeler, animal science junior, third
PLEASANTVILLE—Bailey Core, agricultural education and studies senior, first
TULON, Illinois—Elizabeth Heaton, agricultural business senior, sixth
MINERAL POINT, Wisconsin—Morgan Pittz, animal science junior
Meat Animal and Livestock Management
IDA GROVE—Jeremy Maass, animal science junior, fourth
INDIANOLA—Grant Beeler, animal science junior, second
IOWA CITY—Kyle Ruth, agricultural business senior, first
LIVINGSTON, Wisconsin—Jacob Yelinek, animal science junior, third
Soil Judging
CONRAD—Jordan Cooper, agronomy junior
DYERSVILLE—Brandon Walls, agronomy and environmental science sophomore
ELDORA—Jake Ziggafoos, agronomy senior
LAKOTA—Macy Heetland, agronomy senior
OSKALOOSA—Josh McDanel, environmental science sophomore, seventh
ST. ANSGAR—Matt Levan, agronomy freshman
WILLIAMSBURG—Justin Chapman ag education junior
BENICIA, California—Win Cowger, environmental science senior
SANDWICH, Illinois—Leeson Gord, ag studies and agronomy senior
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois—Danny Brummel, agronomy sophomore
Coaches for the teams were Erik Christian, agronomy lecturer; Jon DeClerck, animal science lecturer; Georgeanne Artz, assistant professor in economics; and Amber Anderson Mba, agronomy lecturer; Heidi Dittmer, soil science graduate student; Sam Groenenboom, soil science graduate student; David Samson, agronomy student; and Matthew Duesterhaus, agronomy student.
NACTA is a professional society founded in 1955. Members include public and private post-secondary schools, with divisions for two- and four-year institutions.