Lincoln, Neb. — The 2016 University of Nebraska–Lincoln Livestock Judging Team recently celebrated a very successful season. The team competed in 13 events against 30 different collegiate teams from across the country.
A high note of the season was placing as the high team in cattle at the American Royal in Kansas City, Missouri, in October. This was the first time since 1976 that a team from the university has won cattle at this competition.
“I’m very proud of this year’s team for putting in the hard work and dedication, which led to great results,” said Coach Brad Bennett.
The North American International Livestock Expo in Louisville is the national contest for collegiate livestock judging. At that event the team was the fourth high team overall, high team in hogs, third high team in performance cattle, fifth high team in sheep and fifth high team in reasons.
Among those with strong individual results was Jefferson Keller of St. Paul, Nebraska. Keller started the season as the second high individual overall in the carload contest at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colorado in January. At the Nebraska Cattlemen’s Class in Kearney, Keller was the high individual overall, high individual in placings and tenth high in reasons. He ended the season on a high note at the North American International Livestock Expo, as the high individual in performance cattle.
Railen Ripp of Kearney, Nebraska, also performed well this season. Ripp was second high in placings and fourth overall at the Nebraska Cattlemen’s Classic. She placed third high overall, third in cattle, tenth in hogs and fourth in reasons at the Premier Stockman in Frankfort, Indiana, and second high in cattle at the American Royal. Ripp concluded the season placing eighth high in reasons at the North American International Livestock Expo.
Additional team members include Tana Almand of Vinita, Oklahoma; Andrea Gurney of Huntley, Wyoming; Gavin Harsh of Bartley, Nebraska; Rachel Johnson of Raymond, Nebraska; Clay Roland of Greenfield, Indiana; Reese Tuckwiller of Lewisburg, West Virginia; and Wyatt Williamson of Newark, Illinois.
Assisting Coach Bennett were graduate students Kinsey Freeman of Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Pat Arkfeld from Dunbar, Nebraska.
