Chance, Hayden, Ochsner, Smith named Midwest Regional Animal Science Academic Quadrathlon Champions.
A team of Kansas State University (K-State) animal sciences and industry (ASI) students won the 2017 Midwest Regional Animal Science Academic Quadrathlon hosted in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska, March 12-15. The team competed against 12 teams from other universities.
Team members included: Jenna Chance, ASI sophomore, Lebanon, Indiana; Cameron Hayden, ASI junior, Cassopolis, Michigan; Taylor Ochsner, ASI junior, Andover, Kansas; and MaRyka Smith, ASI senior, Hoyt, Kansas. The team is advised by Karol Fike, K-State ASI faculty member and quadrathlon coordinator.
Teams participate in four events: laboratory practicum, written exam, oral presentation and quiz bowl. In the laboratory practicum, the team demonstrates its ability to perform animal management-related skills. The work at each station usually involves a species such as beef or swine or a discipline area such as nutrition or meats.
The written exam questions may involve any area related to animal production and products. Each team works on one exam, dividing the questions as they wish.
In the oral presentation, the students may choose from a list of topics related to animal agriculture. They have 60 minutes to prepare the presentation. This is an exercise in cooperative problem solving.
In the Quiz Bowl, questions may be on any topic that relates to animal agriculture and that are answerable in a short period of time.
K-State won the laboratory practicum and written exam, placed fourth in the quiz bowl and fifth in the oral presentation to best the field of 13 teams.
K-State’s team is sponsored by Fourth and Pomeroy Associates Inc. of Clay Center, Kansas. Joe Ebert, vice president and general manager, is a 1971 K-State ASI graduate, and Jim Brown, retired president, is a 1959 graduate in feed science and management.
The regional competition followed a local animal sciences academic quadrathlon in February at K-State, where 18 teams made up of K-State students competed to move on to the regional competition. The team will represent K-State and the Midwest Region at the national competition this July in Baltimore, Maryland, held in conjunction with the American Society of Animal Science national meetings.
Pictured is the champion team with team sponsors (l to r) are Jim & Carol Brown, Fourth & Pomeroy president; Joe Ebert, Fourth & Pomeroy vice president and general manager; MaRyka Smith, ASI senior from Hoyt, Kansas; Cameron Hayden, ASI junior from Cassopolis, Michigan; Taylor Ochsner, ASI junior from Andover, Kansas; Jenna Chance, ASI sophomore from Lebanon, Indiana; Zita Milligan, Fourth & Pomeroy CFO; and Karol Fike, KSU ASI faculty member and quadrathlon coordinator.
Source: Kansas State ASI News