ISU Dairy Judging Team
Other ISU Judging Teams
About the Team
The Iowa State University Dairy Judging Team provides an exceptional opportunity for students passionate about dairy judging to refine their skills while competing on a national scale. Renowned for its dedication and excellence, our team consistently ranks among the top in national contests.
Students gain invaluable hands-on experience in evaluating dairy cattle, further enhancing their public speaking abilities, critical thinking, time management, and organizational skills. Beyond competitions, team members benefit from building their personal network by engaging with industry professionals and alumni. The dairy judging team travels throughout the fall semester to various contests in Viroqua, WI; Harrisburg, PA; Madison, WI; Louisville, KY; and Fort Worth, TX.
If you are interested in joining the ISU Dairy Judging Team and becoming part of a tradition of excellence, while taking your passion for dairy judging to the next level, please contact Dairy Judging Team Coach Christen Burgett at cgjacks@iastate.edu.
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Christen Burgett
Christen Burgett, a native of Bismarck, ND, developed her passion for the dairy industry through hands-on experience, showing dairy cattle at both the county and state level. She pursued both her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Animal Science at North Dakota State University. During her collegiate years, Christen actively participated on both the Dairy Judging and Livestock Judging Teams, honing her expertise and competitive edge.
Currently, Christen serves as an Associate Teaching Professor and Dairy Judging Team Coach here at Iowa State University. Christen brings a wealth of experience and deep-seated passion to the Dairy Judging Team. Over the past decade Christen has been instrumental in cultivating a dairy judging program that has been consistently successful on a national level. Her dedication to mentoring students and fostering a collaborative learning environment has helped team members excel in competitions and in their academic pursuits. Christen's commitment to excellence and her ability to inspire and motivate students make her an invaluable asset to the ISU Dairy Judging Program.
Christen resides in Perry, IA, with her husband Russell and their two sons, where they also raise Polypay sheep.
2024 Team
Irene Nielsen
Major: Dairy Science, Agricultural Communications, and International Agricultural
Louis Hamlett
Major: Dairy Science and Agronomy
Mackenzie Waschow
Major: Animal Science
Naomi Scott
Major: Dairy Science
Raegan Kime
Major: Agricultural and Rural Policy Studies, International Agricultural, and Public Relations
Team Accolades
| Year | Event | Location | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Southwest Intercollegiate Dairy Cattle Judging Contest | Fort Worth, TX | On contest day, in Brown Swiss, Raegan was 3rd, Irene was 4th, and the team was 4th. In the Holstein breed, Raegan was 4th, Irene was 6th and the team was 1st. Moving on to Jerseys, Raegan was 1st, Louis was 5th and the team was 1st. In Reasons, Raegan was 2nd, Irene was 4th, and the team was 1st. At the end of the day, Louis was 8th high individual overall, Irene was 5th and Raegan won the entire contest being named High Individual Overall with the team finishing 1st out of 10 teams! |
| 2024 | North American International Livestock Exposition Intercollegiate Dairy Cattle Judging Content | Louisville, KY | The team held their own among a field of 13 four-year teams. In the Ayrshire Division, Iowa State was 1st with Louis placing 4th, Naomi was 8th, and Irene was 10th. Louis was 2nd overall in Brown Swiss and the team placed 4th. The team was 4th overall in Guernseys with Irene in 4th and Naomi in 7th. Naomi was 9th in Holsteins, and the team placed 1st in Jerseys with Raegan placing 6th and Irene won the breed. Additionally, the team was 4th overall in reasons with Naomi placing 6th and Irene was 8th. Rounding out the contest, the team placed 3rd overall with Naomi finishing 5th and Irene was 7th. |
| 2024 | World Dairy Expo Intercollegiate Dairy Cattle Judging Contest | Madison, WI | Team highlights include placing 2nd in Ayrshires, 3rd in both Brown Swiss and Guernseys, 7th in Milking Shorthorns, and 1st in Red and Whites. Individually, in Ayrshires, Naomi was 5th and Louis was 8th. Naomi was 7th and Irene was 8th in Brown Swiss and in Guernseys, Naomi was 2nd. In Holsteins, Naomi was 10th and she was 6th in Jerseys. In Red and Whites, Naomi was 3rd and Irene was 5th. In Placings, Louis was 3rd and Naomi was 1st and Naomi was 6th in Reasons. Overall, Naomi was named an All-American rounding out the day as the 2nd High Individual Overall in the contest. Naomi’s scores coupled with her teammates propelled Iowa State to a 3rd place finish overall out of 17 teams from across the country and the Netherlands! |
| 2024 | Practical Contest at World Dairy Expo | Madison, WI | The Iowa State University Dairy Judging Team decided to compete in the practical contest at World Dairy Expo in Madison, WI. Team members became familiar with linear scoring cows, analyzing data for a Grade/Non-ID class of heifers, interpreting pedigrees to assist with the registered Holstein heifer class with team reasons, and students brushed up on how to read and analyze sire summary sheets to assist in a corrective mating class along with team reasons. The team’s willingness to learn and apply new knowledge paid off as seeing the team was 5th in linear, 2nd in grade/non-ID heifers, 2nd in registered heifers, and 2nd in the corrective mating division which led Iowa State to a 2nd place finish overall in the practical contest! It is unknown when ISU last competed, if at all, in the practical contest, so kudos to the team for being willing to learn and try something new and for representing Iowa State extremely well! |
| 2024 | Annual Vernon County Intercollegiate Dairy Cattle Judging Contest | Viroqua, Wisconsin | The team placed 4th overall in Ayrshires and Irene placed 4th. The team was 4th in Brown Swiss while Louis was 4th and Irene was 5th. In Guernseys, the team was 5th and Irene placed 4th. The team finished 4th in Holsteins and 5th in Jerseys with Irene placing 3rd. Irene placed 1st in Milking Shorthorns, Louis was 9th, and the team was 3rd. In reasons, Irene was 5th, Louis was 9th, and the team was 4th. Lastly, the team rounded out the contest in 4th place overall with Irene as the 5th High Individual Overall and was Louis was 12th. |
Dairy Team History
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L-R: Coach Christen Burgett, Irene Nielsen, Raegan Kime, Naomi Scott, Louis Hamlett, Coach Mary Fliehler.
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L-R: Coach Christen Burgett, Torri Burch, Delana Erbsen, Colton Silveira, Madalyn Palmer, and Coach Mary Fliehler
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L-R: Amber Engelken, Carly Strauss, Mason Jauquet, Faith Palmer, Coach Mary Fliehler, Not pictured: Coach Christen Burgett
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