California State University, Fresno’s meat judging team, on hiatus the past few years, staged a strong return to competition, placing sixth at the National Western Livestock Show intercollegiate contest, missing the top five in the senior division by just one point.

The team also took sixth in specifications, beef grading, beef judging and total reasons, fourth in lamb judging and total placings, and fifth in overall beef and pork judging at the competition Jan. 17 in Greeley, Colo., among 73 students from 10 universities.

Crystal Waters, Fresno State meat judging coach, said members of the American Meat Science Association were pleased to see Fresno State make its first appearance in the contest since 2005.

“I am very proud of the kids on the team. They worked very hard and saw much less product than some of the bigger schools,” said Waters, a student working on a Master’s Degree in Animal Science at the university’s Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology.

Individual team members fared well, led by Colton “CJ” Brantley of Clovis, a third -year agricultural education major, who placed third overall with second in specifications, fifth in lamb judging and overall beef, and eighth in reasons. Brantley was a member of the reserve national champion FFA meat judging team at Clovis High School.

Chad Bower, a first-year meat technology major from Prather and also from Clovis High School, placed 15th overall and sixth in beef judging.

The new Fresno State team practiced at Harris Ranch Beef Co. in Selma throughout the semester and visiting Yosemite Meat Co. in Modesto and Superior Farms Lamb Packing Co. in Dixon so members could hone their judging skills.

Waters earned her undergraduate degree at Chico State after attending high school in Fort Bragg. She gained her judging experience at Texas Tech University, which won the team title in Greeley, and has been working at the Fresno State Meat Lab since June 2009. She re-started the team in August.

Fresno State will compete at this year’s Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show in Fort Worth, Texas; Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, American Royal, High Plains Contest in Plainview, Texas, and International Meat Judging Contest in Dakota City, Neb.

(Copy by University Communications news intern Sadie Thomas.)

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