Students from Texas A&M University successfully brought home the American Meat Science Association (AMSA) International Intercollegiate Meat Judging Contest championship for 2022.
The Texas A&M team received first in total beef, pork judging, lamb judging, beef grading, specifications, and placings. They also placed second in reasons and beef judging.
Four students from Texas A&M placed individually in the top 10. Three students from the team were put on the AMSA All-American Teams.
Each student on the team came from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Animal Science, according to AgriLife Today.
The contest started in 1926 at the International Livestock Exposition in Chicago.
“Meat judging programs are currently the most effective tool for the recruitment and development of future meat science technologists in existence today,” according to the AMSA website. “Students equipped with a general knowledge in meat evaluation are able to be competitive in the judging arena, but more importantly, will be the individuals that lead our industry into the future.”
Kaylee Greiner coaches the meat judging team, and Jennifer Wyle with the Department of Animal Science is the team coordinator.
“Coach Kaylee Greiner and I are proud of our amazing students,” Wyle told AgriLife Today. “The depth and consistency across the team was essential to our success. At each contest, we not only had students reliably place in the top 10, but we always had a great showing from the alternates in the contest as well.”
There are 10 students on the team, and during contests, four are chosen by the coach to compete for the team. The other members then compete individually as alternates.
The four students who worked as a team at the international contest were Gage Walsh, Nathan Barrett, Alexandra Smith, and Bailey Lamb. The six alternates were Molly Hicks, Cassie Brown, Avery Foster, Rylie Philipello, Abby Tack, and Morgan McKinzie.
Students named to the All-American First Team were Barrett and Walsh. Smith was placed on the All-American Second Team. These teams were chosen by looking at all contests in 2022.
The interim head of the Department of Animal Science, Andy Herring, shared that the department is proud of the team’s placement and the work done by the students.
“The department is very proud of these students and their coaches on this great accomplishment. We must remember that the students juggle all their academic responsibilities in addition to their long hours at practices and travel for contests during the year. The fact that they can do that successfully is very impressive,” Herring explained.
“They’ve spent countless hours grading beef in beef processing plants, writing reasons, studying specifications and placing classes to make it to this point,” Wyle told AgriLife Today.
The International Intercollegiate Meat Judging Contest took place in Nebraska, in Dakota City, on November 13.
