SPRINGFIELD — East Clinton High School student Hanna Fosbrink took first place in the general livestock category at the Wilmington College Aggies’ 58th annual Livestock Judging Contest held Wednesday in Springfield. The East Clinton team placed third and Wilmington High School sixth.
In the dairy cattle judging category, Wilmington High School student Sarah Quallen finished third and East Clinton student Tabby Vance finished fourth.
A record-breaking 1,329 high school students judged dairy cattle, equine, general livestock and agronomy at the Wilmington College contest, according to Randall Sarvis, Director of Public Relations at the college.
The event attracted students from 79 schools from Ohio and surrounding states for a competition billed as the largest east of the Mississippi River and, in the words of Aggies’ adviser Harold Thirey, assistant professor of agriculture: “With this year’s turnout, it may be the largest in the United States.”
Thirey qualified the more than 1,300 high school 4-H and Future Farmers of America members as constituting at least a “modern-day record” during his nearly 40 years as a faculty member.
In addition to Fosbrink’s first-place finish, other East Clinton students who placed in the general livestock judging category were: Zach Bernard, 39th; Olivia Wood, 91st; Austin Rolfe, 116th; Marissa Williams, 131st; Denver Bernard, 136th; Gracie McCarren, 226th; Shelby Williams, 327th; Samantha Gaddies, 364th; and Blake Bronson, 426th.
Wilmington High School student Brady Bergefurd placed 23rd; Andrew Davis, 33rd; Jay Schneder, 37th; Lauren Davis, 42nd; John Stewart, 74th; Bryant Bergefurd, 90th; and Jenna Victor, 548th.
Blanchester finished 43rd in the general livestock team competition. Students who placed were: Jacob Miller, 137th; Cora Shattuck, 185th; Jessica Jones, 276th; Kimberlee Shook, 324th; Ian Heeg, 397th; Felicity Richardson, 453rd; Sydney Scott, 486th; Terra Ficke, 537th; Shawn Snyder, 538th; Logan Redden, 618th; Seth Randolph, 629th; Lane Heeg, 643rd; Jaden Johnson, 694th; Steven Latchford, 756th; and Trevor Chaney, 768th.
There were more than 70 schools and 783 students competing in this category.
“The agriculture faculty is proud of our students,” Thirey said. He said their challenge was even greater this year as they needed to move contest from Wilmington to the Champion Expo Center at the Clark County Fairgrounds in Springfield.
Thirey mentioned that regularly attracting more than 1,000 high school students to a Wilmington College activity is a result of building credibility over the years and becoming recognized for staging a high quality event.
“The Livestock Judging Contest is well known by high school teachers, advisers and students involved in 4-H, vocational agriculture and Future Farmers of America,” he said.
The agronomy competition attracted 112 students while dairy had 184, equine 250 and general livestock (beef cattle, sheep and swine) 783.
Todd Peterson of Miami Trace High School won the individual agronomy contest while Miami Trace captured the team competition. Blanchester and Wilmington high schools placed seventh and eighth, respectively, with East Clinton taking 18th.
Blanchester students who placed in the agronomy category were: Audrey Heitzman, 35th; Timothy Rannells, 43rd; Erin Wilson, 44th; and Lilly Tedrick, 62nd.
Wilmington students who placed were: Porter Pagett, 36th; John Roberts, 38th; and Garrett Davis, 54th.
East Clinton student Trevor Prater finished 73rd; and Jeffrey Barger finished 74th.
In dairy cattle, published results show Wilmington finishing first, East Clinton fifth and Blanchester was 19th.
Wilmington students who placed, in addition to Sarah Quallen’s third place, were: Rachael Billups, 8th; Ashley Tissot, 24th; Samuel Osborn, 32nd; Courtney Palmateer, 81st; Amanda Milburn, 83rd; Saeah Garrison, 84th; Joshua Cordy, 87th; Andrew Moyer, 94th; and Emily Singleton, 102nd.
East Clinton students who placed in dairy cattle judging were, in addition to Tabby Vance’s 4th place finish: Taylor Boeck, 12th; Ashley Kinner, 28th; Bailey Corcoran, 45th; Grace Cooper, 46th; Peyton Vest, 59th; and Dakota Slone, 99th.
Blanchester students who placed were: Katelyn Henry, 53rd; Ethan Mclarty, 91st; and Korie White, 100th.
In the equine competition, East Clinton placed 15th and Wilmington 39th.
East Clinton students who placed were: Nicole Longenecker, 44th; Luke Hanners, 57th; Alauna Mclees, 89th; Kaitlyn Talbott, 172nd; Cameron Conner, 175th; Sierra Christian, 191st; Kaitlin Durbin, 207th; and Nate Malone, 212th.
Wilmington High School students who places were: Ryan Baker, 144th; and Sidney Walker, 146th.
