2008 Meat Animal Evaluation Team

2008 National Champions

Left to Right, Seated: Travis O'Quinn, Coach and Ryan Rathmann, Coach. Front Row: Trevor Thompson, Pilot Point; Aaron Renfroe, Ozona; Gered Smith, White Deer; Josh Campbell, Las Cruces, N.M.; Jennifer Blackburn, Grady, N.M.; Bryan Bernhard, Seguin; Judd Gardner, Estancia, N.M.; Ben Pyke, Humble; and T. Chance VanDyke, Hobbs, N.M. Back Row: Ben Estes, Holis, Okla.; Troy Walker, Michigantown, Ind.; Micah Walker, Sulphur Springs; Chance Williams, Quemado, N.M.; Colton Long, Sterling City; Zach Gilbert, Sweetwater; Brett Wheeler, Plant City, Fla.; and Markus Arnold, Panhandle.

Texas Tech University's Meat Animal Evaluation Team won first place in the 2008 National Meat Animal Evaluation Contest held Mach 27-28 at the Oklahoma City Stockyards and Oklahoma State University. This win marks back-to-back championships for Texas Tech University.

Texas Tech won the Market Animal, Breeding and Meat Divisions and placed second in the Communications Division. These honors scored them a total of 8808 points, outdistancing the second place team by 110 points.

“We have worked hard to establish Texas Tech as the premiere judging program in the nation,” said Coach Ryan Rathmann. “This win serves as confirmation that the Department of Animal and Food Sciences and its livestock and meat science evaluation programs are at the top.”

According to contest officials, the Meat Animal Evaluation contest has been, since its conception in 1955, specifically designed to stimulate college teaching programs and encourage students to seek a more complete understanding of meat animal evaluation.

This coordinated approach was initiated to assist and encourage students of animal science to be more aware of the relationship and limitations that exist when evaluating breeding and market animals. It also has encouraged students to appreciate the importance of carcass excellence as it relates to production, as well as meat processing, merchandising and consumption.

Individually, Judd Gardner led the team with a first place finish, followed by teammates Chance Williams and Bryan Bernhard who finished eighth and tenth, respectively.