AMES, Iowa — For the third year in a row Iowa State University student teams won the overall sweepstakes award among four-year institutions at the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) Judging Conference April 6-8.
The sweepstakes award was presented for the Iowa State teams’ good showing in five agricultural contests at the conference, which was hosted by Kansas State University. There were 869 contestants at the conference competing on 48 teams from four-year schools and two-year schools.
Teams competing in several agricultural categories were judged as a group and were ranked individually. The ISU Ag Knowledge Bowl team won first place for the seventh year in a row. Teams ranked first in livestock management, meat judging, precision agriculture, crops and horticulture.
The remaining ISU team and individual rankings for the four-year division included:
Agricultural Business
Second Place Team
Riley Arthur, first place, agricultural business sophomore, Owatonna, Minnesota
Jose Borunda, sixth place, agricultural business freshman, Chihuahua, Mexico
Keely Acheson, 10th place, agricultural business sophomore, Rushville, Illinois
Marcus Mandt, 12th place, agricultural business sophomore, Rose Creek, Minnesota
Coach: Georgeanne Artz, Iowa State University assistant professor economics
Agricultural Communications
Fifth Place Team
Amber Hammes, fifth place, agriculture and society senior, Ankeny, Iowa
Ashley Moore, 13th place, agronomy sophomore, Reinbeck, Iowa
Cameron Jodlowski, 15th place, agriculture and life sciences education senior, Atlanta, Illinois
Coaches: Amanda Blair, Agricultural Entrepreneurship Initiative program coordinator, and Marcie Stevenson, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Student Services program assistant
Agricultural Computer Applications
Second Place Team
Geordan Hanson, first place, agricultural business senior and coach, Elgin, Iowa
Eric Coddington, eighth place, agronomy senior, Montello, Wisconsin
Lucas Roberts, 10th place, agronomy and genetics senior, Trivoli Illinois
Logan Koester, 15th place, agronomy senior, Gladbrook, Iowa
Ag Knowledge Bowl
First Place Team
Derrick Hoodjer, agronomy senior, Prairie City, Iowa
Ashlyn Kessler, agronomy senior, Walcott, Iowa
Lauren Schwarck, agronomy and seed science junior, Spencer, Iowa
Kyle Bates, agricultural business, agronomy, and seed science senior, Rockton, Illinois
Trevin Kennedy, agricultural business senior, Walnut, Illinois
Crops
First Place Team
Derrick Hoodjer, first place, agronomy junior, Prairie City, Iowa
Lauren Schwarck, second place, agronomy and seed science junior, Spencer, Iowa
Kyle Bates, third place, agricultural business, agronomy and seed science senior, Rockton, Illinois
Ashlyn Kessler, fourth place, agronomy senior, Walcott, Iowa
Joshua DeGroot, agronomy junior, Laura, Illinois
Daniel Feucht, agronomy junior, Princeville, Illinois
Coleman Kneifl, agronomy sophomore, Allen, Nebraska
Elizabeth Widder, agronomy and animal science senior, Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin
Heather Wilson, agronomy junior, Eagle Grove, Iowa
Nicholas Schuh, agronomy and seed science junior, Raleigh, North Carolina
Adam Guy, agronomy senior, Brighton, Iowa
Coach: Erik Christian, agronomy lecturer
Assistant coaches: Nate Christenson, a senior in agricultural business, economics and agronomy from Granger, Iowa; Eric Coddington, an agronomy senior, Montello, Wisconsin; and Lucas Roberts, an agronomy and genetics senior from Trivoli, Illinois
Horticulture
First Place Team
Derick Perkins, first place, horticulture senior, LaMont, Iowa
Lindsay Meylor, horticulture senior LeMars, Iowa
Lauren Schwarck, second place, junior in agronomy and seed science, Spencer, Iowa
Ashlyn Kessler, third place, agronomy senior, Walcott, Iowa
Coach: Brooke Jerie, horticulture junior, Belvidere, Illinois
Livestock Management
First Place Team
Tim Riessen, first place, agronomy senior, Schleswig, Iowa
Geordan Hanson, coach, third place, agricultural business senior, Elgin, Iowa
Trevin Kennedy, fifth place, agricultural business senior, Walnut, Illinois
Logan Koester, seventh place, agronomy senior, Gladbrook, Iowa
Meat Judging
First Place Team
Alex Conover, second place, animal science senior, Holstein, Iowa
Carl Frame, third place, animal science senior, Osseo, Wisconsin
Regan Sippy, 7th place, animal science senior, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Natalie Hanson, 8th place, agriculture and biosystems engineering senior, LaPorte City, Iowa
Coach: Sherry Olsen, animal science lecturer
Precision Agriculture
First Place Team
Eric Coddington, first place, agronomy senior, Montello, Wisconsin
Tim Riessen, fourth place, agronomy senior, Schleswig, Iowa
Logan Koester, 6th place, agronomy senior, Gladbrook, Iowa, 6th Place
Trevin Kennedy, 10th place, agricultural business Senior, Walnut, Illinois
Coach: Geordan Hanson, agricultural business senior, Elgin, Iowa
Soil Judging Team
Second Place Team
Danny Brummel, third place, agronomy senior, Springfield, Illinois
Josh McDanel, 7th place, agronomy and environmental science senior, Oskaloosa, Iowa
Hannah Corey, 28th place, agronomy junior, Lake City, Iowa
Jacob Wright, 30th place, agronomy and environmental studies freshman, Weyers Cave, Virginia
Pit two winning score: McDanel
ISU Soils Team
Danny Brummel, agronomy senior, Springfield, Illinois
Josh McDanel, agronomy and environmental science senior, Oskaloosa, Iowa
Hannah Corey, agronomy junior, Lake City, Iowa
Sarah Salmon, agronomy and animal science senior, Grinnell, Iowa
Kimberlee Ewart, agronomy junior, Wapello, Iowa
Jacob Wright, agronomy and environmental studies freshman, Weyers Cave, Virginia
Mitch Roush, agronomy senior, Columbus Junction, Iowa
Chris Grebner, agronomy freshman, Epworth, Iowa
Kelli Roush, agronomy freshman, Columbus Junction, Iowa
Erik Fevold, agronomy freshman, Nevada, Iowa
Coaches include: John Jones, agronomy graduate research assistant, and Amber Anderson, lecturer in agronomy.
NACTA is a professional society founded in 1955. Members include public and private post-secondary schools, with divisions for two- and four-year institutions.