HU Ag Students Complete First Livestock Judging

Five students from the Haupert Institute for Agricultural Studies at Huntington University recently competed in the four-year division of the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) Annual Judging Contest. 

The competition, which Murray State University hosted this year, proved to be an ideal event for Huntington University’s first collegiate livestock judging team. Team members Kaleb Bickel, Johnna Cummins, Allyson Fenicle, Callie Lemper and Luke Reust placed third in oral reasons and third overall. Kaleb Bickel also placed among the top ten individuals in the competition. 

“I am incredibly proud of these students,” said Dr. Jessica Baggerman, assistant professor of agriculture. “They have started a tradition of representing HU and the Haupert Institute for Agricultural Studies at national competitions. We hope to continue this in the future by increasing the number of students involved and the diversity of events entered.”

Besides helping agriculture students hone their technical and communication skills, NACTA aims to use contests such as this one to spark camaraderie between students and between schools. Judging contests also provide practical experiences for students.   

“These contests allow students to apply knowledge gained from their classes into situations that can be applied to the real world outside of the classroom,” said Baggerman. “They also develop skills that can aid in their future careers.”