WT Ag Students Earn National Championship, Other Honors

Copy by KyLeah Murray, [email protected]

CANYON, Texas - Students from West Texas A&M University's Department of Agricultural Sciences took home top honors at North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture competitions.

Students in the WT department, part of the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences , competed across a wide range of academic and leadership contests, showcasing excellence in agriculture, communication and applied sciences.

"The NACTA judging conference is a wonderful opportunity for agriculture students across multiple disciplines to compete at one location," said Dr. Brock Blaser, the Harman Distinguished Professor of Agriculture and assistant dean of academic programs. "After we hosted this judging conference last year at WT, many more of our ag programs have begun to attend and compete. It was great to see so many different WT teams competing and performing at high levels in these national contests. We are proud of their hard work and success and look forward to continuing to grow our presence at this judging conference in the future."

The Parliamentary Procedure team won the national championship. Team members included Emily Carlson, a senior agriculture major from Vega; Lyndsey Pancost, a junior agriculture major from Milliken, Colorado; Bethany Bradley, a junior agriculture major from Muleshoe; Maddilynn Daniel, a senior agriculture major from Childress; and Annelisse Hale, a junior agriculture major from Victoria.

In the Agricultural Education contest, a team comprised of Carlson, Pancost, Bradley and Daniel earned third place.

The Horticulture Team earned a second-place overall finish, with Reagan Decoulaz a junior plant, soil and environmental science major from San Antonio, placing second individually. Team members also included Colby Arrington, a senior plant, soil and environmental science major from Clayton, New Mexico; Landon Langenbau, a senior plant, soil and environmental science major from Arp; and Riley Mertz, a senior plant, soil and environmental science major from Canyon.

WT's Knowledge Bowl team finished second overall. Team members included Langenbau and Mertz, as well as Summer Bowman, a senior animal science major from Morton; Damien Gliem, a senior plant, soil and environmental science major from Fort Morgan, Colorado; and Ryon Howell, a senior plant, soil and environmental science major from Canyon.

The Portfolio Team placed fourth overall, with McKenna Murphy, a senior agricultural media and communication major from Calhan, Colorado, placing fourth individually. Team members also included Kaslyn Moczygemba, a senior agricultural media and communication major from Hobson; Rylie Tabor, a junior agricultural media and communication major from Post; and Graham Wristers, a senior agricultural media and communication major from Spring.

Bowman placed fifth in the poster contest.

The Crops Team placed sixth overall under assistant coach Grady McAlister, a graduate student in plant, soil and environmental science from Nazareth. Team members included Arrington, Decoulaz, Gliem, Howell, Langenbau and Mertz, as well as Rowdy Gray, a freshman plant, soil and environmental science major from Hagerman, New Mexico; Bela Juarez, a senior plant, soil and environmental science major from Plainview; Hudson Matt, a junior plant, soil and environmental science major from Wildorado; Ady Murdock-Poff, a senior plant, soil and environmental science major from Moriarty, New Mexico; Edwin Osuna, a junior plant, soil and environmental science major from Perryton; Noah Pelzel, a sophomore plant, soil and environmental science major from Oak Point; Darren Sykes, a junior plant, soil and environmental science major from Dumas; Jenny Taylor, a senior plant, soil and environmental science major from Amarillo; and Noah Wood, a junior plant, soil and environmental science major from Groom.

Students also competed in the Soils contest, under assistant coach Dayson Schacher, a graduate student in plant, soil and environmental science from Nazareth. Team members included Murdock-Poff, Osuna, Pelzel and Wood, as well as Hayden King, a sophomore plant, soil and environmental science major from Howe; Abbigayle Smith, a senior agricultural media and communication major from Robert Lee; and Sarah Stout, a senior animal science major from Haskell.

The competitions were held in late April at Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois.

Such competition is one way in which WT creates in its students a commitment to being self-reliant, courageous, resourceful and part of something larger than one's self, as laid out in the University's long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World .

That plan is fueled by the One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which raised more than $200 million dollars, the largest such campaign in Texas Panhandle history.

About West Texas A&M University

West Texas A&M University is a Regional Research University in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers multiple options for students to graduate and succeed: 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor's and master's degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. WT recently earned a Carnegie Foundation classification as a Research College and University. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 16 men's and women's athletics programs.

Top Photo: The West Texas A&M University Parliamentary Procedure team won the national championship at North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture competition. Members are, from left, Emily Carlson, Lyndsey Pancost, Bethany Bradley, Maddilynn Daniel and Annelisse Hale.

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