Following up on a strong spring, the defending national champion Texas Tech University Meat Judging Team in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences picked up an overall team victory Oct. 1 at the Eastern National Meat Judging Contest in Wyalusing, Pennsylvania.
Texas Tech outpaced rival Texas A&M University by 11 points, finishing with 4,183 points to capture the overall team crown, while Big 12 Conference rival Oklahoma State University was third with 4,150 points. Angelo State University, a part of the Texas Tech University System, finished fourth with 4,108 points.
Texas Tech’s strong team showing was led by its first-place finishes in the specifications and reasons/questions categories as well as second-place finishes in beef judging, lamb judging and overall beef.
Texas Tech also took third in pork judging and fourth in beef grading.
Jessica Humphrey, a senior from Okeechobee, Florida, led the way for Texas Tech as the top individual performer with 1,067 points. Tommy Fletcher, a junior from La Vernia, finished sixth overall with 1,047 points.
In the individual categories, Humphrey took first in beef grading and specifications, second in overall beef and ninth in reasons/questions. Fletcher took first in lamb judging and also finished in the top 10 in beef grading and overall beef.
Other top performers for Texas Tech were Cole Perkins, a junior from Llano, who took first in pork judging and reasons/questions and fifth in specifications; and Kye Schwartz, a junior from Wall, who finished 10th in beef judging.
Other members of the meat judging team are:
- Kyle Caldwell, a junior from Midlothian
- Katlynn Freeman, a junior from Panhandle
- Lane Harrington, a senior from Frost
- Boyd Henry, a junior from Wall
- Courtney Jasik, a junior from Mertzon
- Shannon O’Quinn, a junior from League City
- Kiersten Scott, a senior from Scott City, Kansas
- Keeley Sears, a junior from Peaster
- Blayne Troxell, a junior from Pampa
- Chelsi Vineyard, a junior from Stephenville
- Megan Writt, a junior from Houston
Professor Mark Miller, the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo Distinguished Chair in Meat Sciences, coaches the team. Graduate students Loni Lucherk, Nick Hardcastle and Mallorie Phelps assist.
(News release from Texas Tech Universtity)
