FFA has success at state judging finals
Courtesy of Julie Luxon From left, Madera FFA judging winners Omar Hernandez, Leslie Arevalo, Valeria Giron, Julie Padilla and their coach, Kristin Sheehan
Madera FFA had eight teams competing at state judging team finals this year, with one taking first place and the other seven placing in the top 10 of their contests.
The Veterinary Science team won the State Championship for their contest this year. In that competition, members demonstrate knowledge of veterinary practices, animal breed identification, and tool and equipment identification.
Veterinary Science has proven to be a popular contest, with more than 60 schools participating this year.
Along with placing first in the contest, three team members were named as high individuals: Julia Padilla placed fourth, Leslie Arevallo placed third and Valeria Giron placed second.
“Team members have worked really hard to get to this point,” said coach Kristin Sheehan.
Most of the competition season resulted in second-place finishes.
“The team knew what they had to do to win and they put in an exceptional effort. I’m very proud of their hard work and their accomplishment.”
The team will now be preparing for the national finals at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis during late October.
This year’s FFA state finals were held at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, on May 6. More than 2,000 students from high schools across California competed in 21 events throughout the day. These contests included everything from livestock judging to marketing, and members are judged by industry professionals, Cal Poly Staff and community volunteers.
All of the teams were competing for state championships and many for a chance to compete at the National contests in November.
The other teams that competed from Madera FFA were Ag Welding and Horse Judging, which placed 10th; Meats and Marketing, 5th; Farm Record, 4th; and Floral and BIG placed 2nd.
