FFA Crushes CDE Competition
Launch the media gallery 1 playerBy Ella Gaes
Every year the Pierce FFA Chapter competes in the annual CDE (Career Development Events) Competition hosted at Northeast Community College on February 27.
Mr. Matthew Neal, Pierce FFA advisor, spends his day supervising and guiding FFA members and also takes several trips down the road, dropping off FFA members that compete in livestock management at the Northeast Community College Ag Complex. In regard to students showing success in events, he remarks, “I am always really impressed with the work ethic of students at Pierce High and certainly the students in Pierce FFA. The time they put into being successful in the different events really shows in our results.”
Overall, there are four teams, ag mechanics, meat judging, floriculture, and welding, who qualified for the Nebraska State FFA Convention, which takes place from March 29-31.
Starting off, the ag mechanics team received second out of 13 teams and included Matthew Steffen, Luke Endorf, Zachary Meier, and Cameron Pelc.
After this, Carter Meier, Lucas Scrivner, Brayden Kuper, and Grant Snodgrass earned fifth out of 12 teams in meat judging.
Next, the floriculture team received third out of 13 teams and included Zaylah Pfanstiel, Ashley Wacker, Veronica Orona, and Alexis Sporleder.
The last event qualifying for state, earning fourth out of 10 teams, was welding. Each member participated in a different type of welding that was judged separately, but their team score was calculated together. Steffen and Bode Hoffmann placed second in their category, Alexander Meier placed sixth, and Pelc finished fourth.
Competing on the agriscience team placing 12 out of 14, but not qualifying for state was Clay White, Brianna Rundell, Cayden Holan, Grace Behmer, Alexandria Huwaldt, and Addison Willer.
Placing ninth out of 10 teams in agronomy were Jayan and Mia Sackville, Trayton Christiansen, and Chelsea Ottis.
Competing in biotechnology for the first year, receiving seventh out of seven teams were J. and M. Sackville, Morgan Graae, and Ottis.
The food science team placed sixth out of 14 teams and included Breanna Lindstrom, Brielle Unseld, Sporleder, Angeline and Isabelle Skrdla, Pfanstiel, I. Sackville, and Haylee Ferguson.
Unseld, Ella Gaes, Haiden Magnussen, A. Meier, and Seth Nelsen competed in livestock management, finishing sixth out of 14.
Competing in veterinary science, Lindstrom, Wacker, I. Sackville, and A. Skrdla placed sixth out of 14 teams.
Unseld, Magnussen, and Montgomery are the champions in District 4 for their Agricultural Proficiency Awards they created through their supervised agricultural experiences (SAEs). Unseld was in the ag processing category and her SAE included working for the North Fork Bread Co. Magnussen’s SAE featured managing hunting properties in northeast Nebraska and fell under environmental services and natural resources management. Montgomery is a state finalist under the agriculture management design and fabrication and will be competing at the Nebraska State FFA Convention for a chance to make it to Nationals with his fishing bait business known as TMBaits.
The Pierce FFA Chapter will be traveling to the Nebraska State FFA Convention March 29-31.
