Area teams do well at National FFA Convention

WORTHINGTON -- Jackson County Central FFA returned home from the 81st annual National FFA Convention over the weekend with two Top 10 placings in Career Development Events (CDEs), while a Mountain Lake FFA CDE team also garnered a Top 10 finish.

JCC's meats evaluation team placed fifth of 38 teams in the nationwide contest, with team member Hilary Geesman earning 10th place individually to lead the squad. Geesman also earned a $500 scholarship. Her teammates, Levi Buresch, Alex Hohenstein and Emma Reith, all earned gold placings.

The nursery and landscape CDE team from JCC placed eighth of 41 teams nationally, with Ashley Benda, Luke Nelson and Marie Tate all earning gold rankings, while teammate Jolene Prochazka received a silver ranking. Benda also earned a $500 scholarship for her high placing.

The Mountain Lake FFA forestry CDE team placed seventh of 35 teams in its contest, with team members Kyle Fast, Karen Herrig and Jim Louangsaphakdy all earning gold placings and Steven Herrig earning a silver ranking. Fast and Karen Herrig each earned a $500 scholarship for their high placings.

Other teams taking part in the National FFA Convention are as follows:

• The Fulda High School FFA livestock evaluation team earned a silver ranking in the 45-team judging contest. Team members, all of whom earned silver rankings individually, are Anthony Zins, Jared Arens, Jacob Cowan and Emily Heintz.
• The Westbrook-Walnut Grove FFA floriculture team earned a silver ranking, while team member Alexis Quade placed fourth individually for a gold ranking in the 43-team contest. Teammate Kassandra Jarmer earned a silver ranking individually, while Christina Elzenga and Melody Horkey each earned bronze rankings.
• The JCC FFA agriculture sales team received a silver ranking in its contest with 39 other teams. Receiving a gold emblem individually was Dastinee Vancura, while Macey Rossow received a silver emblem and Mandi Hartzler and Sarah Jenninges each received the bronze ranking.

• The JCC FFA team of Eric Hodnefield and Devin Bezdicek earned first place in Division Four in engineering in the 2008 Agriscience Fair. This year's National FFA Convention was Oct. 22-25 in Indianapolis, Ind.

1/2: The Jackson County Central FFA meats CDE team is advised by Jeff Voss (left). Team members include Alex Hohenstein, Levi Buresch, Hilary Geesman and Emma Reith.

2/2: Jackson County Central FFA Advisor Jeff Voss (left) stands with his eighth-place finishing nursery and landscape team of Luke Nelson, Ashley Benda, Marie Tate and Jolene Prochazka.