K-State crowned national champion meat animal evaluation team

The Kansas State University meat animal evaluation team won national champion honors at the 2024 Collegiate Meat Animal Evaluation Contest hosted in Laramie, Wyoming. The team was recognized April 13, following the three-day competition.

The event, previously known as the AKSARBEN contest, now rotates between host institutions across the country. The competition includes live market animal carcass predictions and pricing, breeding animal evaluation and meat judging competition and truly serves as a capstone judging experience for students with its incorporation of so many industry applicable concepts.  

The team placed in each division of the contest which consisted of breeding, market, meats, beef, swine, sheep and communications. Individually K-State had six members place in the top 10 overall, including the top five individuals. Kyla Mennen, Logansport, Indiana, was first; Cole Murphy, Houstonia, Missouri, second; Sadie Marchiano, Fort Scott, Kansas, third; Bailey Lavender, Branford, Florida, fourth, and Sam Stickley, St Paris, Ohio, fifth.  (See complete individual and team results below.)

Members of the national champion meat animal evaluation team (pictured above) from Kansas State University are from left (back row) Benjamin Archer, Ty Knodle, Chanse Mullinix, Ethan Hyers, Sam Stickley, Cole Murphy and Kyla Mennen; (middle row) Blake Bruns, Logan Topp, Logan Buhrman, Hayden Deno, Ava Perrier, Jacob Klaudt, Zane Redifer, Riley Coates and Emerson Tarr; (front row) coaches Payton Dahmer and Chris Mullinix; Sadie Marchiano, Katelyn Wallace, Kylie Schakel, Olivia Gerloff, Quinna Molden, Bailey Lavender, Chevy Vaske, Hailey Gillespie, Sydney Stolee, Lauren Thompson and coach Travis O’Quinn. (Courtesy photo.)

“The Meat Animal Evaluation contest is the most comprehensive test of students’ knowledge of the factors that impact production of meat from livestock. Many of the students that compete in this contest have already demonstrated excellence in animal and/or meat evaluation, and this annual opportunity for them to pull their knowledge, education and past training together make this a true Capstone experience for all,” said Mike Day, K-State ASI department head. “The capacity for all-inclusive consideration of product value as impacted by genetics and management is crucial to economic efficiency and sustainability of meat production. Congratulations to our 2024 K-State students and coaches for their high level of excellence in this competition. Thanks to the coaches for their long-term commitment to providing students with comprehensive knowledge in livestock and meat evaluation.”

The team is coached by Travis O’Quinn, Chris Mullinix and Payton Dahmer.

Team results

Champion Team — Beef Division

Champion Team — Breeding Division

3^rd Overall Team — Communications Division

Champion Team — Market Division

Champion Team — Meats Division

2^nd Overall Team — Sheep Division

Champion Team — Swine Division

Individual results

Kyla Mennen – 1^st Overall, 1^st Swine, 2^nd Beef, 2^nd Meats, 4^th Market, 4^th Sheep, 6^th Breeding

Cole Murphy – 2^nd Overall,  1^st Beef, 1^st Market, 4^th Breeding, 5^th Sheep, 5^th Swine

Sadie Marchiano – 3^rd Overall, 1^st Sheep, 3^rd Market, 8^th Beef, 9^th Breeding

Bailey Lavender – 4^th Overall, 3^rd Beef, 9^th Market

Sam Stickley – 5^th Overall, 1^st Meats, 2^nd Swine

Logan Buhrman – 8^th Overall, 1^st Breeding, 7^th Swine, 9^th Meats

Benjamin Archer – 8^th Breeding

Ty Knodle – 4^th Beef, 7^th Breeding

Jacob Klaudt – 2^nd Breeding

Quinna Molden – 4^th Swine, 8^th Sheep

Lauren Thompson  – 4^th Meats

Chevy Vaske – 5^th Breeding

Zane Redifer – 10^th Market

Team members

Benjamin Archer, West Finley, Pennsylvania; Blake Bruns, North Platte, Missouri; Logan Buhrman, Wisner, Nebraska; Riley Coates, Baldwin City, Kansas; Hayden Deno, Danville, Indiana; Olivia Gerloff, Bland, Missouri; Hailey Gillespie, Colony, Kansas; Ethan Hyers, Alma, Georgia; Jacob Klaudt, Beulah, North Dakota; Ty Knodle, Fillmore, Illinois; Bailey Lavender, Branford, Florida; Sadie Marchiano, Fort Scott, Kansas; Kyla Mennen, Logansport, Indiana; Quinna Molden, Middletown, Virginia; Chanse Mullinix, Gretna, Virginia; Cole Murphy, Houstonia, Missouri. Ava Perrier, Eureka, Kansas; Zane Redifer, Blacksburg, Virginia; Kylie Schakel, Atlanta, Indiana; Sam Stickley, St Paris, Ohio; Syndey Stolee, Centerville, Iowa; Emerson Tarr, Le Roy, Illinois; Lauren Thompson, Woodville, Wisconsin; Logan Topp, Grace City, North Dakota; Chevy Vaske, Glencoe, Kentucky; and Katelynn Wallace, Casstown, Ohio.