AHS FFA students compete in livestock judging contest
Several Austin High School students competed in Livestock Evaluation and Dairy CAttle Evaluation Oct. 9. Students from left: Noah Carroll, Evan Meiergerd, Michael Carroll, Hannah Burkhart, Kristine Schechinger, Josh Irvin, Maia Irvin. Photo provided.
Several Austin High School students got to find out what a livestock judge feels like at a recent competition, and one team is moving onto the state competition.
The AHS FFA competed in both Livestock Evaluation and Dairy Cattle Evaluation on Oct. 9 at the University of Wisconsin, River Falls. The Livestock Evaluation team will move on to state competition at the end of April 2016.
Each team evaluates and places several groups of animals based on their market quality or use as a breeding animal. The Dairy Cattle Evaluation team sees several breeds and ages of cattle. The Livestock evaluation team looks at beef cattle, swine, sheep and goats.
“I think the students did a really good job on both judging teams that competed on Friday,” teacher and advisor Linnay Yarger said.
The Livestock Evaluation team consisted of students in grades 10-12, including Noah Carroll, Michael Carroll, Evan Meiergerd, Kristine Schechinger and Hannah Burkhart. As a team they placed third. In the individual category, Hannah Burkhart placed third overall, Michael Carroll placed eighth, Noah Carroll placed 19th, Kristine Schechinger placed 24th and Evan Meiergerd placed 48th.
About 30 schools and 133 members participated in the contest.
The Dairy Cattle Evaluation team consisted of Josh Irvin and Maia Irvin, a ninth-grader and a senior. Twenty-seven schools and 96 members completed at the contest. Josh Irvin was 28th individual, and Maia Irvin was 64th individual.
Yarger said it’s normal to have a wide range in student placement.
“Typically it depends on how well their day went in judging,” she said. “It’s not uncommon to have students across the board in that way.”
Yarger said the students had fun competing at contest and seeing friends that go to other schools. Yarger hopes the students learn about teamwork and get a sense of judging animals in a more real-life setting.