West central Minnesota students earn honors at FFA state convention
May 9—WILLMAR — Area students were honored at the 2023 Minnesota FFA Convention last month.
More than 5,000 FFA members and guests from across the state participated in the convention April 23-25, according to the Minnesota FFA Assocation. Events were conducted on the University of Minnesota — Twin Cities campuses, the Minnesota State Fairgrounds and the St. Paul Pipefitters Training and Certification Center.
A full list of the students honored statewide is available on the
Minnesota FFA
website,
The following are students and chapters from west central Minnesota who earned honors, according to information from the FFA:
The State Star Awards are presented to the top individuals from four different supervised agricultural experience project categories.
State Star in Agriculture, Food and Natural Resource Sciences winner — Shae Fath,
Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg
State Star In Agribusiness winner — Jacob Walsh, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg
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.
Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa
: Summer Lundberg, Grace Jackson, Teresa Heinze, Ethan Spanier
Hancock
: Blake Koehl, Charles Koehl, Clark Koehl, Jackson Koehl
Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg
: Julia Carlson, Shae Fath, Wyatt Hagen, Chase Hauge, Macy Rohner, Jacob Walsh, Tanner Wilts
Lac qui Parle Valley
: Kalista Bormann, Lexi Gloege, Ben Mattocks
MACCRAY
: Kayloni Dalle
New London-Spicer
: Austin Hanson, Kaden Iverson, Myles Macik, Adriana Behl, Emery Gabrielson, Everett Halvorson, Sofia Lien, Kenneth Schmiesing, Ethan Spors
Paynesville Area
: Dante Deppa
Renville County West
: Sophie Geer, Rebecca Hendrickson
Willmar
: Braeden Erickson, Isabelle Sauceda, David Thaden, Bethany Molash
Supervised Agricultural Experience top three proficiency award winners from the region.
Agriscience Research, Integrated Systems: (1) Katelynn Marquardt, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg, (2) Shae Fath, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg
Agriscience Research, Animal Systems: (1) Madison Anderson, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg
Agricultural Services: (1) Jacob Walsh, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg
Diversified Crop Production, Entrepreneurship: (1) Connor Danielson,
Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City
Forage Production: (2) Matthew Lingbeek, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg
Outdoor Recreation: (3) William Bugbee, Paynesville Area
Specialty Animal Production: (2) Zoey Dockter, Lac qui Parle Valley
Service-Learning: (1) Shae Fath, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg
Sheep Production: (3) Lexi Gloege, Lac qui Parle Valley
Turf Grass Management: (3) Courtney Fernholz, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg
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: (4) Willmar; Individual: (5) Dustin Seubert, Willmar; (9) Matt Aslagson, Hancock; (20) Derik Johnson, Willmar
Best Informed Greenhand — Individual: (9) Gaige Knisley, New London-Spicer
Companion Animal Science — Team: (9) Paynesville Area; Individual: )11) Rebekah Walz, Paynesville Area
Creed — Individual: (3) Tabitha Bjerketvedt, Hancock
Crops — Team: (6) Hancock; Individual: (21) Logan Metzger, Hancock; (25) Grant Henjum, New London-Spicer
Dairy Evaluation: Individual: (23) Aaron Jones, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg
Extemporaneous Speaking: (3) William Bugbee, Paynesville Area; (4) Lexi Gloege, Lac qui Parle Valley
Farm and Agribusiness Management — Team: (1) Hancock; Individual: (5) Jackson Koehl, Hancock; (8) Clark Koehl, Hancock; (13) Sam Mastey, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa; (16) Blake Koehl, Hancock, (17) Kalista Bormann, Lac qui Parle Valley
Fish and Wildlife — Team: (2) New London-Spicer; (8) Paynesville Area; Individual: (2) Ethan Spors, New London-Spicer; (14) August Vanderweyst, Paynesville Area; (22) Kaden Iverson, New London-Spicer
Floriculture — Team: (3) Willmar; (4) Hancock; (6) New London-Spicer; Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg; Individual: (4) Moah Luthi, Hancock; (6) Isabell Sauceda; Willmar; (13) Raeann Holmquist, New London-Spicer; (14) Vivian Messner, Hancock; (17) Leslie Jimenez, Willmar; (23) Grace Gratton, New London-Spicer; (25) Thelma Benitez, Willmar
Meats Evaluation and Technology — Team: (8) New London-Spicer; Individual: (7) Adriana Behl, New London-Spicer
Nursery and Landscape — Team: (4) Hancock; Individual: (22) Kendra Koehl, Hancock
Parliamentary Procedure — Team: (1) Litchfield; (5) MACCRAY
Poultry Evaluation — Individual: (9) Riley Joyer, Litchfield
Prepared Public Speaking — Individual: (3) Taylor Bierwerth, Paynesville Area
Soils — Team: (10) Renville County West; Individual: (8) Josiah Seehusen, MACCRAY; (15) Cole Schliep, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg
