West central Minnesota students earn honors at Minnesota FFA state convention
May 24—The Minnesota FFA Association returned to in-person for the 93rd annual state convention in April. The following results highlight area students and teams. Complete results can be found on the Minnesota FFA Association website at
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The State Star Awards are presented to the top individuals from four different supervised agricultural experience project categories.
State Star in Agribusiness winner — William Bugbee, Paynesville Area
State Star in Agri Science Region V finalist — Lance Sawatzky, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg
Vice President — Natalie Beckendorf, Renville County West
Treasurer — Brynn Lozinski, MACCRAY
The state FFA State Degree is given to the top members of a State FFA Association, and only 2 percent of Minnesota FFA members earn the degree. This degree demonstrates the student has put an exceptional amount of time into their supervised agricultural experience, local chapter and community.
Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City: Eric Melberg
Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa: Santos Sorenson, Hillary Prentice, Shelby Anderson, Olivia Thieschafer
Benson: Emma Ascheman
BOLD: Jerson Kopka, Kiara Stai
Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg: Lance Sawatzky
Lac qui Parle Valley: Ella Hammerud, Makayla Koepp, Brock Trager
Litchfield: Abagayle Shoutz
MACCRAY: Andrew Janssen, Brynn Lozinski, Caden Yoose, Cailin Yoose
Montevideo: Lauren Dehne, Kassey Pauling
New London-Spicer: Grace Gratton, Raeann Holmquist
Paynesville Area: William Bugbee
Willmar: Lily Thompson
Supervised Agricultural Experience top three proficiency award winners from the region were:
Agriscience Research, Integrated Systems: (1) Katelynn Marquardt, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg
Agricultural Mechanics Design and Fabrication: (2) Lance Sawatzky, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg
Agricultural Services: (2) Jacob Walsh, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg
Beef Production Entrepreneurship: (3) Mason Grams, Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart
Diversified Crop Production Placement: (3) Eric Melberg, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City
Equine Science Placement: (1) Eleanor Wehseler, New London-Spicer
Forage Production: (2) Caden Yoose, MACCRAY
Goat Production: (2) Matthew Lingbeek, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg
Specialty Crop Production: (2) Saxton Melberg, Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart
Area students participated in career development events. Listed are area teams finishing in the top 10 and area students in the top 25 in each event.
Agricultural Mechanics — Team: (2) Willmar; Individual: Dustin Seubert, Willmar; Derik Johnson, Willmar; David Thaden, Willmar; Tyler Heida, MACCRAY
Crops — Team: (4) New London-Spicer (7) MACCRAY; Individual: Robert Schimerowski, New London-Spicer; Brody Lien, New London-Spicer; Caden Yoose, MACCRAY; Landin Ahrenholz, MACCRAY; Mitchell Kleeberger, Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart
Dairy Handler — Individual: Emersen Tatge, MACCRAY
Farm and Agribusiness Management — Individual: Samuel Mastey, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa
Fish and Wildlife Management — Individual: Kaden Iverson, New London-Spicer
Floriculture — Team: (3) Willmar; Individual: Lily Thompson, Willmar; Grace Vierhuf, Willmar; Isabell Sauceda, Willmar
Food Science and Technology — Team: (6) Benson; Individual: Leah Olson, Benson; Hailee Ellingson, Benson; Sara Evenson, Benson; Lilly Ostlie, Benson
Horse Evaluation — Team: (7) Montevideo; Individual: Lana Rongstad, Montevideo; Mason Rohloff, Minnewaska Area; Kassey Pauling, Montevideo
Livestock Evaluation — Individual: Macy Rohner, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg; Brynn Lozinski, MACCRAY
Meats Evaluation and Technology — Team: (10) New London-Spicer; Individual: Adriana Behl, New London-Spicer
Nursery and Landscape — Team: (4) MACCRAY; Individual: Cailin Yoose, MACCRAY; Emily Santjer, MACCRAY; Brogan Harguth, MACCRAY
Small Animal — Individual: Rebekah Walz, Paynesville Area
Soils — Individual: Jennifer Bratsch, Renville County West, Colton Noble, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg
Creed Speaking — Individual: Abby Schoumaker, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa
Extemporaneous Speaking — Individual: Ben Bugbee, Paynesville Area
Parliamentary Procedure — Team: (5) Paynesville Area
Best Informed Greenhand — Individual: Allison VanNurden, New London-Spicer
Discussion — Individual: Natalie Beckendorf, Renville County West
