LINCOLN, NE- Each spring, local students that participate in FFA are among more than 7,000 FFA members, advisors and guests that converge on Lincoln to celebrate the annual Nebraska State FFA Convention.
The 2024 convention held a lot of opportunities and successes for the youth that attended. General sessions, competitive events, educational tours, leadership workshops, and the Career Fair and Expo were some of the activities for students.
Several students from across the KCNI/KBBN listening area also received their State Degrees, the highest degree awarded by the Nebraska FFA. In total, 832 Nebraska FFA members received their degrees. A list of all recipients can be found here. Photos of recipients can be viewed here.
Listed below are the accomplishments of area youth in a wide variety of competitions.
Pre-convention CDE Awards
Range Evaluation: Junior Division
1st place individual – Hayes Plugge, Burwell
Local National Chapter Award Results
Gothenburg – Silver
Local Leadership Development Events Results
Cooperative Speaking (Silver): Halle Racicky – Ansley
Cooperative Speaking (Silver): Elizabeth Felty – Stapleton
Local People in Ag Poster Event Results
Anselmo-Merna
Jenna Bartak- Silver
Raylee Bachman- Silver
McPherson County
Gage McNutt- Bronze
Pierce Phelps- Bronze
Kylee Connelly- Gold
Carsyn Gragg- Silver
Alex Anderson- Silver
Mullen
Kassidy Cheever- Gold
Oakes Miller- Gold
Hayden Morrison- Silver
Cody Walker- Silver
Sandhills
Tyla Held- Silver
Tristen Swisher- Silver
Mattee Zutavern- Silver
Paizley Zutavern- Silver
Eli Brogdon- Silver
Local Proficiency Results
Agricultural Communications (2nd): Avery Salomon- Gothenburg
Agricultural Mechanics Design and Fabrication (1st): Garrett Keith- Loup County
Agricultural Processing (2nd): Sophia Aden- Gothenburg
Diversified Crop Production Entrepreneurship (2nd): Bart Beattie- SEM
Resources Management (2nd): Ericka Larsen- Burwell
Health and Human Services (2nd): Taylor Burge- Gothenburg
Sheep Production (1st): Spencer Walahoski- SEM
Local Nebraska Career Development Events Results
(Ribbon winners) Link to full results here.
Anselmo-Merna
Environmental & Natural Resources
Adyson Priest – red ribbon
Owen Cantrell – red ribbon
Agriscience
Caenyn Priest – blue ribbon
Arcadia
Ag Technology & Mechanics
James Rohan – blue ribbon
Farm & Agribusiness Management (Team white ribbon)
Jillian Hurlburg – red ribbon
Jacob Chavez – white ribbon
Christopher Allen – white ribbon
Jason Ducker
Livestock Evaluation: Junior Division
Rylee Kursave – white ribbon
Poultry Evaluation
Trysten Hornickel – white ribbon
Welding (Team white ribbon)
Austin Kolar – blue ribbon
Cooper Kursave – blue ribbon
James Rohan
Baylon Kolar
Broken Bow
Ag Biotechnology (Team blue ribbon)
Elizabeth Holcomb – blue ribbon
Alex Berghorst – blue ribbon
Emma Olson – red ribbon
Jacey Osmond
Agriscience (Team white ribbon)
Bowen Ridder – blue ribbon
Marlene Nozicka – blue ribbon
Brinlee Chapin – red ribbon
Keegan Hendricks
Agronomy (Team blue ribbon)
Hayden Grafel – purple ribbon
Madden Kleeb – blue ribbon
Toby Johnson – red ribbon
Alexis Pflaster – red ribbon
Environmental & Natural Resources (Team white ribbon)
Tyler Epley – red ribbon
Hayden Gravel – white ribbon
Dylan Schmidt – white ribbon
Keegan Hendricks
Food Science & Technology
Halle McCaslin – blue ribbon
Katie Olson – red ribbon
Veterinary Science
Keelyn Shea – blue ribbon
Alex Berghorst – red ribbon
Burwell
Ag Technology & Mechanics
Jaxon Thoene – blue ribbon
Wyatt Larsen – red ribbon
Darren Stout – red ribbon
Miles Wright
Agriscience (Team blue ribbon)
Mieke Vd. Walt – blue ribbon
Myah Wright – blue ribbon
Liv Chaffin – red ribbon
Brextin Stout
Agronomy (Team red ribbon)
Cody Burson – blue ribbon
Cale Buss – red ribbon
Colter Wright
Miles Wright
Environmental & Natural Resources (Team purple ribbon, state runner-up)
Cale Buss – purple ribbon ($1,000 scholarship from CASNR)
Dillon Simpson – purple ribbon
Cody Burson – red ribbon
Kaitlyn Simpson
Livestock Evaluation: Junior Division (Team white ribbon)
Ericka Larsen – purple ribbon
Brody Jensen – red ribbon
Brookelyn Gideon
Rea Petersen
Livestock Evaluation: Senior Division (Team red ribbon)
Colter Wright – blue ribbon
Dillon Simpson – red ribbon
Hannah Carstens – white ribbon
Kalista Joy
Meats Evaluation & Technology (Team blue ribbon)
Josiah Koeingsberg – purple ribbon
Gracie Conrad – red ribbon
Julianne Borgelt
Katelynn Simon
Callaway
Ag Technology & Mechanics
Carter Wood – purple ribbon
Environmental & Natural Resources
Dylan Pandorf – purple ribbon
Gothenburg
Agronomy
Carson Reiman – blue ribbon
Casey Wahlgren – white ribbon
Carter Anderson – white ribbon
Environmental & Natural Resources (Team purple ribbon)
Casey Wahlgren – purple ribbon
Rye Tiller – purple ribbon
Max Wyatt – blue ribbon
Preston Nichols
Farm & Agribusiness Management (Team blue ribbon)
Jonathan Davis – purple ribbon
Logan Feather – blue ribbon
Evan Johnson – red ribbon
Dylan Meints
Floriculture
Layla Healey – red ribbon
Ava Weyers – white ribbon
Nursery & Landscape
Layla Healey – red ribbon
Poultry Evaluation
Ty Kreis – blue ribbon
Welding (Team blue ribbon)
Kaden Carlson – blue ribbon
Zander Hruza – blue ribbon
Cole Atkinson
Garrett Langley
Litchfield
Ag Technology & Mechanics (Team blue ribbon)
Hunter Sweley – blue ribbon
Ashton Behmerwohld – blue ribbon
Rowden Jackson – white ribbon
Lane Slocum
Agriscience (Team blue ribbon)
Karson Moore – purple ribbon
Kylee Zulkoski – purple ribbon
Topanga Boyles – blue ribbon
Patsy Fowler – blue ribbon
Veterinary Science
Lyndsie Mcauliff – purple ribbon
James Fletcher – white ribbon
Loup City
Agronomy (Team blue ribbon)
Dalton Lewandowski – blue ribbon
Parker Slobaszewski – blue ribbon
Max Lewandowski – blue ribbon
Michael Kusek
Floriculture
Hailey Rademacher – red ribbon
Livestock Evaluation : Junior Division
Brogan Setlik – red ribbon
Adien Curlo – red ribbon
Livestock Evaluation : Senior Division (Team blue ribbon)
Trey Vanslyke – purple ribbon
Caden Kowalski – purple ribbon
Libby Ference
Conner Slobaszewski
Meats Evaluation & Technology (Team blue ribbon)
Brogan Setlik – blue ribbon
Conner Slobaszewski – blue ribbon
Eva Jaixen – red ribbon
Aiden Curlo – white ribbon
Loup County
Ag Biotechnology
Everett Funk – red ribbon
Alyissa Moody – white ribbon
Ag Technology & Mechanics
Henry Sortum – white ribbon
David Switzer – white ribbon
Farm & Agribusiness Management
Hudson Kraus – blue ribbon
Hector Estrada – white ribbon
Kaitlyn Leibert – white ribbon
Meats Evaluation & Technology (Team red ribbon)
Emmett Sortum – blue ribbon
Hudson Kraus – blue ribbon
Claira Morgan – blue ribbon
Noah Lamb
Welding
Emmett Sortum – red ribbon
McPherson County
Farm & Agribusiness Management
Isaac Goosey – purple ribbon
Brayden McNutt – blue ribbon
Mullen
Agriscience
Georgia Wingbach – red ribbon
Hope Miller – white ribbon
Sargent
Agriscience
Maci Smith – red ribbon
Agronomy (Team blue ribbon)
Grant Ottun – purple ribbon
Justin Folkers – blue ribbon
Loreena Schauda – red ribbon
Logan Rugg
Floriculture (Team purple ribbon, state champion team. Will represent Nebraska at the National Convention)
Eve Kipp – purple ribbon ($1,000 scholarship from CASNR)
Melissa Slagle – purple ribbon (3rd place individual)
Carsen Vincent – purple ribbon
Loreena Schauda – purple ribbon
Food Science & Technology (Team blue ribbon)
Melissa Slagle – purple ribbon
Hayden Nelson – blue ribbon
Ava Bottorf
Kooper Keefe
Livestock Evaluation : Junior Division (Team red ribbon)
Cazen Smith – red ribbon
TJ Horky – white ribbon
Jaylin Young – white ribbon
Kooper Keefe
Meats Evaluation & Technology (Team red ribbon)
Ava Bottorf – purple ribbon
Keaton Dowse – blue ribbon
Quincy Ryker – blue ribbon
Clayton Hazen
Stapleton
Environmental & Natural Resources
Kyle Kramer – red ribbon
Natalie Newman – red ribbon
Kempten Florea – red ribbon
Livestock Evaluation : Senior Division
Elizabeth Fetty – blue ribbon
Cameron Berliner – white ribbon
Veterinary Science (Team blue ribbon)
Cameron Berliner – purple ribbon
Kelsey Amos – red ribbon
Elizabeth Fetty – white ribbon
Natalie Newman – white ribbon
Sumner-Eddyville-Miller
Ag Sales (Team blue ribbon)
Mikah O’neil – blue ribbon
Ryan Arbuthnot – red ribbon
Jaelin Wolfinger – red ribbon
Isaac O’neil
Environmental & Natural Resources
Navarre Plagmann – white ribbon
Meats Evaluation & Technology (Team purple ribbon, state champions. Will represent Nebraska at the National Convention)
Preston Beattie – purple ribbon (2nd place individual)
Bart Beattie – purple ribbon (3rd place individual)
Jaelin Wolfinger – purple ribbon
Ryan Arbuthnot – purple ribbon
Welding (Team purple ribbon)
Navarre Plagmann – blue ribbon
Grayden Anderson – blue ribbon
Cohen Rohde – blue ribbon
Maddox Jones – white ribbon
Thedford
Ag Technology & Mechanics
Brady Dahlberg – red ribbon
Agriscience
Katen Licking – white ribbon
Farm & Agribusiness Management (Team white ribbon)
Brady Haake – blue ribbon
Whitley Rasmussen
Haylee Dimmitt
Anna Clarke
Welding
Coby Higgins – blue ribbon
Karley Haake – white ribbon
