From the left: Cole Burrack, Troy Kane, Dustin Smith, Matt Mensing, Morgan Core, Coach Jeff Thayne

2008 Livestock Judging Team

A strong finish at Houston caps the 2008 Spring Season for the Cyclone Livestock Judging Team. The team learned from previous contests and gained experience to put them in position to succeed at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in Houston, Texas.

Iowa State finished 4 th overall behind Texas Tech, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma State, Colorado State was 5th. The team was 2nd in placings, 4th in sheep and goats, 6th in hogs, and 7th in cattle. Matt Mensing led the Cyclones with a 13th overall finish, Cole Burrack, Andy Platner, and Dustin Smith also finished in the top 30 overall individuals.

ISU started their spring schedule at the National Western in Denver, CO. This was the first collegiate judging experience for the Cyclones. The trip was highlighted by a Reserve Champion finish in the Carload contest. In the Livestock contest the team was awarded a top 10 finish, while finishing 9th in both cattle and hogs. Troy Kane was 5th overall in the Carload contest.

Next up was a trip to the Sioux Empire contest in Sioux Falls, SD. The team finished 3rd behind teams from Kansas State.

The Iowa Beef Expo contest was held in Des Moines, IA, an all cattle contest showcasing entries from noted breeders in Iowa and surrounding states. The team was 6th overall. Individual honors went to Troy Kane who was 12th overall, and Morgan Core finished 6th in reasons.

The team is coached by Jeff Thayne, and team members include Cole Burrack from Arlington, IA, Morgan Core from Pleasantville, Troy Kane from Fairbank, Matt Mensing from Orient, Andy Platner from Lisbon, and Dustin Smith from Storm Lake.

The ISU Livestock Judging Team will resume the 2008 season with the National Barrow Show in Austin, MN. This summer the program will host the 2008 ISU Livestock Judging Camp on June 18-20th. Please contact Jeff Thayne for more information, 515.294.5910.

2007 Livestock Judging Team

Change and continued improvement highlight the 2007 Livestock Judging Team at Iowa State University. In January, Jeff Thayne was brought on board to lead the livestock judging program for the Cyclones. Immediately the team hit the road for their first contest experience.

The season began at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, CO. A group of 8 individuals represented the university. Logan Wallace had a strong start to his collegiate judging career finishing 6th overall in total placings, and in the top 35 overall, joining him in that category was teammate Nick Siedelmann. The team, inexperienced and adjusting to change, finished 14th overall in the livestock contest and 9th in the unique Carload Contest.

The next journey for the year was to the Sioux Empire contest in Sioux Falls, SD. The team managed a 9th place finish. Individual honors went to Scott Greiner who finished 10th in the cattle division, and Jared Gutknecht and Nick Siedelmann tied for 10th in the hog category.

Looking to gain momentum and capitalize on success in the cattle division from previous contests, the team competed in the Iowa Beef Expo contest in Des Moines, IA. This is an all cattle competition that showcases the tremendous quality of the cattle in Iowa. The team experienced success by receiving a 3rd place award overall, along with 3rd in placings, and 5th in reasons. Individually, Logan Wallace led the way for the Cyclones by placing 5th overall and 1st in placings. Aaron Gallagher and Scott Greiner rounded out the top 10 with an 8th and 9th overall finish, respectively. Jared Gutknecht and Nick Siedelmann also finished in the top 20 overall.

To close the spring schedule the team traveled to the Houston Livestock Show in Houston, Texas. This was an exciting trip that allowed students to experience a different region of the country and the opportunity to judge classes specific to the area, such as Brahman cattle. The team finished 12th overall, and 6th in the sheep and goats division. Scott Greiner was in the top 25 overall, with 8th place showing in cattle. Nick Siedelmann was 11th in the alternate division.

During the summer the students enjoyed organizing and officiating youth livestock judging contests across the state. They also served as hosts to over 40 students who traveled to Ames from across the state as well as Texas, Wyoming, and Minnesota to participate in the 2007 ISU Livestock Judging Camp. This was a great opportunity for potential students to master their skills or learn the basics of livestock evaluation.

The fall run began with the National Barrow Show in Austin, MN. The team worked diligently to prepare for the all hog contest. Their hard work was rewarded with a 4th place overall finish. Jim Thompson led ISU with a 9th overall finish, while Nick Siedelmann and Scott Greiner also finished in the top 20 overall.

In an effort to get more contest experience before Kansas City and Louisville, the team participated in contests at the Tulsa State Fair in Tulsa, OK, and at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas. The team’s improvement continued to show with a top 3 overall finish in Dallas.

Next up for the group was the American Royal in Kansas City, MO. An event rich in tradition, the team looked forward to success. The team began to establish themselves as one of the better teams in the country. The team finished 6th out of 23 teams overall, as well as 4th in hogs and 7th in cattle. Jim Thompson was impressively 14th overall at the prestigious contest. Scott Greiner was the 8th high individual in hogs.

Looking to continue on the improvement they had made throughout the season the team traveled to the National Livestock Judging Contest in conjunction with the North American International Livestock Judging Exposition in Louisville, KY. The team concluded the year with a 6th place finish overall, 2nd in performance cattle, 5th in cattle, 6th in swine, and 6th in reasons. Nick Siedelmann led the team finishing 7th overall and 9th in sheep.

In 2007, all team members were from Iowa including Aaron Gallagher (West Side), Scott Greiner ( Silver City), Nick Siedelmann (Audubon), Jim Thompson (Boone), and Logan Wallace (Corydon). The team was coached by Jeff Thayne, lecturer and livestock judging coach for the animal science department.

The department and team would like to thank the individuals who supported the 2007 team. Thanks to all the producers who allowed us to visit their farms and ranches and for their hospitality. Thayne would also like to thank the following individuals for their assistance with this team: Clint Schwab, Matt Schneider, Stephen Linnebur, Lindsey Core, and Justin Lain, along with the faculty and staff at Iowa State.