NORTH PLATTE, Neb. – Northeast Community College students finished in second place in sweepstakes and earned 30 awards for two-year colleges at the 2022 North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) Judging Conference. Black Hawk Community College (Ill.) won with the highest combined team score for two-year colleges. The Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture at Curtis hosted the annual event in North Platte.
Northeast was one of eighteen community college and 24 four-year teams to compete in the March 30-April 2 conference.
Northeast placed first overall in the Agribusiness Contest. Team members include Jeremy Kooima, an agronomy major from Rock Valley, Iowa, Zach Nienhueser, an agriculture transfer major from York, Cole Rollins, an agribusiness major from Blair, and Jae Seger, an agribusiness major from Amherst.
Individually, Seger placed first in the Knowledge Exam and Overall.
In the Crops Contest, Northeast finished first in Math Practical, Knowledge Exam, Lab Practical and Overall and third in Plant and Seed Identification.
Team members are Kelcie Hall, an agribusiness and agronomy major from Norfolk, Cody Hubl, a precision agriculture and agronomy major from Guide Rock, Logan Nelson, an agriculture transfer major from Howells, and Austin Steffensmeier, a precision agriculture major from Howells. Also participating in the Crops Contest as individuals were Kenzie Radenz, an animal science, agribusiness and agronomy major from Norfolk, and Jason Zavadil, a precision agriculture major from Crofton.
Individually in the Crops Contest, Hubl placed first in Math Practical, Lab Practical and Overall, third in the Agronomic Quiz and fourth in Plant and Seed Identification. Nelson placed first in Agronomic Quiz, second Overall and in the Lab Practical and fifth in the Math Practical. Steffensmeier placed third Overall and in the Math Practical and fourth in the Lab Practical. Radenz placed second in the Agronomic Quiz. Hall placed fourth in the Agronomic Quiz.
In Precision Agriculture team contest, Northeast finished first in Problem Solving, Knowledge Exam, Component ID, Lab Practical, and Overall.
Team members include James Hasenkamp, a precision agriculture major from Stanton, Frederick Kujath, a precision agriculture and agronomy major from Fairbury, Brendon Wruble, a precision agriculture and agronomy major from Clarks, and Jason Zavadil, a precision agriculture major from Crofton.
Competing as individuals were Megan Engelmeyer, a precision agriculture and diversified agriculture major from Beemer, and Austin Steffensmeier, a precision agriculture major from Howells.
Individually in precision ag, Hasenkamp placed first in Knowledge Exam, Component Identification and Overall, third in Lab Practical and 5th in Problem Solving. Steffensmeier placed first in Problem Solving and second in Component ID and Overall. Zavadil placed second in Problem Solving, third Overall and fourth in Knowledge Exam and Component ID. Kujath placed second in Knowledge Exam and fifth in Component ID and Overall. Wruble placed third in Knowledge Exam and Component ID and fourth in Lab Practical.
In the Ag Mechanics Contest, Northeast placed first in Metals/Welding, second in Hydraulic Systems, Electrical Systems and Overall and third in Machinery/Equipment. Team members are Konner Adamy, a mechanized agriculture major from David City, Kyle Knopik, a mechanized agriculture major from Fullerton, Nolan Schultz, a mechanized agriculture major from David City, and Blake Zavadil, a mechanized agriculture major from Crofton.
In individual Ag Mechanics, Adamy placed first in Metals Welding, second in Electrical Systems and Overall and third in Hydraulic Systems. Knopik placed second in Hydraulic Systems, third in Machinery/Equipment and Overall, and fourth in Metals/Welding. Schultz placed second in Metals/Welding and third in Electrical Systems.
In the Horticulture Contest, Northeast finished second in Knowledge Exam, Plant, Equipment and Tool Identification, Problem Solving, Plant Judging and Overall. Team members include horticulture and golf course management majors Quade Hunt, of Burwell, Javian Scheele, of Ogallala, Jake Sunderman, of Omaha, and Sydnee Sweley, of Litchfield.
Individually in the horticulture contest, Hunt placed second in Problem Solving, fourth in Plant Judging, and fifth in Plant, Equipment and Tool Identification and Overall. Sweley placed third in Plant Judging and fourth in Knowledge Exam.
In the Ag Communications Contest, Northeast placed third Overall. Team members include Jeremy Kooima, an agronomy major from Rock Valley, Iowa, Cole Rollins, an agribusiness major from Blair, Sydney Sweley, a horticulture and golf course management major from Litchfield, and Alexis Schnoor, an agribusiness major from Pierce.
Individually in Ag Communications, Schnoor placed fifth Overall.
In the Ag Computers Contest, Northeast finished third Overall. Team members are Megan Engelmeyer, a precision agriculture and diversified agriculture major from Beemer, James Hasenkamp, a precision agriculture major from Stanton, Logan Nelson, an agriculture transfer major from Howells, and Alexis Schnoor, an agribusiness major from Pierce.
Individually in Ag Computers, Hasenkamp placed first in the Knowledge Exam and fifth Overall.
In the Ag Knowledge Bowl, Northeast finished third.
Team members include Jakob Andreasen, an animal science, agribusiness and agronomy major from West Point, Megan Coffey, an animal science major from Columbus, Logan Nelson, an agriculture transfer major from Howells, and Jae Seger, an agribusiness major from Amherst.
In Dairy Judging, Northeast placed fourth Overall and in Oral Reasons. Team members are Alex Hinze, an animal science and agribusiness major from Columbus, Haley Meduna, an agribusiness major from Colon, Evan Niemeier, an agriculture transfer major from Elwood, and Ashley Sanne, an agriculture transfer major from Norfolk. Also participating was Spencer Skatvold, an animal science major from Centerville, So. Dak.
In Livestock Judging, Northeast placed third in Placings and Cattle, fourth Overall, Swine and Sheep and Goats and fifth in Oral Reasons. Team members include Brayden Anderson, an agriculture transfer major from Lyons, Brandy Happold, an agriculture transfer major from Doniphan, Alex Hinze, an animal science and agribusiness major from Columbus, Evan Niemeier, an agriculture transfer major from Elwood, and Ashley Sanne, an agriculture transfer major from Norfolk. Also participating were Haley Meduna, an agribusiness major from Colon, and Spencer Skatvold, an animal science major from Centerville, So. Dak.
In the Soils Contest, Northeast placed fourth Overall. Team members include Jakob Andreasen, an animal science, agribusiness and agronomy major from West Point, Kelcie Hall, an agribusiness and agronomy major from Norfolk, Caleb Horne, a diversified agriculture major from Exeter, and Frederick Kujath, a precision agriculture and agronomy major from Fairbury. Also competing were Cody Hubl, a precision agriculture and agronomy major from Guide Rock, Cody North, a diversified agriculture major from Winside, and Cole Rollins, an agribusiness major from Blair.
In Livestock Management, team members include Brayden Anderson, an agriculture transfer major from Lyons, Jakob Andreasen, an animal science, agribusiness and agronomy major from West Point, Megan Coffey, an animal science major from Columbus, and Atlynn Witthuhn, an animal science and agronomy major from Callaway.
The entire group was accompanied on the trip by Northeast instructors Brandon Keller, Chance Lambrecht, Mike Roeber, Sarah Sellin, Bernie Thyen, and Mike Zierke, and Jill Heemstra, director of the college’s agriculture program, and Courtney Nelson, precision agriculture trainer.
In addition to participating in the contests, the students toured Orthman Manufacturing in Lexington and various sites around North Platte, including the Golden Spike Tower and the Fort Cody Trading Post and Museum.
Northeast’s Roeber was re-elected to another two-year term as president of the Judging Conference Coaches Association. The host for the 2023 NACTA Judging Conference will be determined at a later date.
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PHOTO IDs: Konner Adamy, Kelcie Hall, James Hasenkamp, Cody Hubl, Kyle Knopik, Jeremy Kooima, Frederick Kujath, Logan Nelson, Zach Nienhueser, Mike Roeber, Cole Rollins, Nolan Schultz, Jae Seger, Austin Steffensmeier, Brendan Wruble, Blake Zavadil, Jason Zavadil.