Local FFA teams compete in state contests

LaCrosse team earns trip to nationals, Wigen elected state reporter

Three local FFA chapters traveled to the annual State FFA Convention in Pullman on May 14-17. With team members competing in a variety of contests, the chapters returned home successful.

LaCrosse had an awarding year, with one team qualifying for nationals this fall. LaCrosse senior Jason Wigen was also elected to serve as the 2015-16 State FFA Reporter.

The LaCrosse team of Wigen, Britte Harder and Abby McGregor placed first in Marketing Plan at the state level, securing them a chance to compete at nationals.

Among the list of successes of Wigen, he also finished fourth in the Extemporaneous Speaking contest.

The LaCrosse chapter also had a team compete in Meats Evaluation and received second place in state. Individually, Cole Evans finished with the third highest score overall and Jessica Guske recorded the sixth highest score. Also competing for the team were Harder, Wigen, McGregor and Nicole Harder.

At the state level, the Lind-Ritzville FFA chapter also performed well, with one team qualifying for nationals. In Agronomy, the Lind-Ritzville teams placed first and sixth.

Team members moving on to the national contest are Kate Schell, Tyler O’Brien, Dinah Gadberry, Taylor Kulm and TyAnn Tellefson.

Individually, Schell finished third, O’Brien scored in fourth, Gadberry held the fifth highest score and Kulm and Tellefson tied for the seventh highest score in the contest. Also participating in the Agronomy contest were Raeann Hoeft, Nathan Naught, Tara Tellefson and Abby Gering.

Lind-Ritzville FFA had two teams compete in Marketing Plan, with one team finishing second in state and the other in sixth. Members of the second place team are Tessa O’Brien, Tessa Jantz and Kallie Harder. Team members of the sixth place team are Hoeft, Madison Harder and Felicia Ziemer.

Farm Business Management also earned a second and sixth place finish for the Lind-Ritzville chapter. On the second place team were Brian Campbell, Cort Ruzicka, Hugh Hennings, Tyler O’Brien and Ryan Frederick. Campbell scored second individually, while Ruzicka recorded the ninth highest score and Hennings the 10th highest.

Chapter members competing on the sixth place team are Matt Leffel, Nathan Naught, Dane Wahl, Alan Field and Pake Taylor.

The Lind-Ritzville Livestock Judging team finished fifth in the state. Team members are Tara Tellefson, TyAnn Tellefson, Kulm, Heidi Hennings, Bryce Esser and Emily Rosen.

The Horse Evaluation team of Rachel Schell, Gadberry, Kate Schell, Peyton Curtis and Erica Leffel finished sixth at the state level.

The Lind-Ritzville chapter also had a team finish sixth in the Meats Evaluation contest at state. Team members are Kulm, Ryan Frederick, TyAnn Tellefson, Hallie Jo Galbreath, Bryce Esser and Camden Smith.

Also securing a sixth place finish individually was Tara Tellefson in the Creed Speaking contest. Gering and Tessa O’Brien also competed in Creed.

The Milk Quality and Products team finished 14th in state. Lind-Ritzville team members were Grayson Whitaker, Beau Jones, Bryden Laird, Dylan Bilodeaux and Dallas Killian.

Lind-Ritzville also had students compete at the state level in Food Science. Those students were Sharon Anderson, Aaliyah Yaeger, Lacey Miller, Brianna KinKade, Cynthia Guizar and Taylor.

Kierstin Witt, Brooke Koch and Madison Melcher all participated in Quiz Bowl at state.

The Washtucna FFA Chapter had students compete at state in Job Interview, Creed and Food Science.