County students place at State FFA Convention

COLFAX - Students from around Whitman County competed in the Future Farmers of America (FFA) State Convention from Thursday, May 9, to Saturday, May 11.

Colfax High School emerged as the leading school at the convention, with 22 students winning various awards, including competitions, degrees and the prestigious Star Farmer in Placement Award.

Garfield-Palouse FFA had the second most placing students in the county, with 14 students placing.

Oakesdale High School took home the most first-place titles at the convention. Oakesdale FFA had 13 students place at the convention. All thirteen students took home first place.

Here are the 2024 results for Whitman County:

Colfax

Ag Sales - 2nd Place State Team: Isabella Huntley (State High Individual), Ainslee Imler, Riley Hennigar, Addy Watkins; Creed Speaking - Stella McNeilly: 2nd Place State Individual, Vivian Riley: 3rd Place State Individual; Prepared Public Speaking - Isabella Huntley: 2nd Place State Individual, Harley Hennigar: 5th Place State Individual; Extemporaneous Speaking - Karly Wigen: 8th Place State Individual; First Year Member - 7th Place State Team: Vivian Riley, Stella McNeilly, Gage Aune; Ag Communications - 7th Place State Team: Marchele McNeilly, Addy Watkins, Darin Repp, Karly Wigen; FARM for Kids - 5th Place State Team: Karly Wigen, Hailey Vandenbark, Marchele McNeilly; Potato Evaluation - 5th Place State Team: Harley Hennigar, Karly Wigen, Marchele McNeilly, Miranda Phillips, Hailey Vandenbark; Soil and Land Evaluation - Team 1 (6th): JP Wigen, Karly Wigen, Isabella Huntley, Marchele McNeilly, Darin Repp, Team 2 (8th): Ainslee Imler, Cooper Watt, Miranda Phillips, Colton Kneale, Brayden McNeilly; Apple Evaluation - 6th Place State Team: Hailey Vandenbark, Marchele McNeilly, Karly Wigen, Ainslee Imler, Isabella Huntley; Farm and Agribusiness Management - 4th Place State Team: Darin Repp, Harley Hennigar, Grace Jones Marchele McNeilly: 7th Place State Individual; Vet Science - Walter McGraw: 6th Place State Individual; State Proficiency Awards - State Winner JP Wigen for Diversified Crop Systems, State Winner Grace Jones for Ag Services; Citizenship Award - Harley Hennigar; State Degree - Harley Hennigar, JP Wigen and Darin Repp.

Colton

Extemporaneous Speaking - Clair Moehrle: 1st Place; Agriculture Communication - 5th Place Team 1: Kyndra Stout, Kate Schultheis, Kaydee Heitstuman, Tanner Baerlocher

Kaydee Heitstuman: 8th Place High Individual; Agronomy - 8th Place Team: Clair Moehrle, Ella Nollmeyer, Kaydee Heitstuman, Mere Bell, Tanner Baerlocher.

Garfield-Palouse

Soils - 4th Place Team 1: Lyman Olson, Preston Olson, Colton Pfaff, Riley Pfaff, Morgan Lentz; Agricultural Technology & Mechanic Systems - 10th Place Team 1: Lyman Olson (16th Place State Individual), Preston Olson, Colton Pfaff, Riley Pfaff, Landon Orr; Environmental & Natural Resources - 12th Place Team: Kaydence Kivi, Morgan Lentz, Kyra Brantner, Kinsley Kelnhofer, Kaylee Kimble; Forestry - 4th Place Team 1: Preston Olson, Sam Pfaff (13th Place State Individual), Hailey Beckner, Morgan Lentz, Kaydence Kivi; Advanced Parliamentary Procedure - 4th Place Team 1: Ayden Bassler, Lyman Olson, Morgan Lentz, Kyra Brantner, Riley Pfaff, Preston Olson; Scrapbooking - 4th Place Team 1: Preston Olson, Camryn Blankenchip; Vet Science - 13th Place Team 1: Sam Pfaff, Lola Edwards, Brendan Snekvik, Keiran Snekvik, Iris Turner; Swine Proficiency - 2nd Place: Camryn Blankenchip; State Degree - Sam Pfaff

Tekoa

MS Food Products and Processing Team - 4th Place: Zeke Sanchez, Avery Blank (8th Place State Individual), Ady Carren, Quincy Lehn, Rubi Ramirez, Ashton Davis

LaCrosse

Environmental Natural Resources - 4th Place: Ellie Pierson, Julia Guske, Johnny Hone, Ty Pierson, Olivia McGregor, 11th Place: Judge O'Riordan, Raul Martinez, Jake Hone, Cooper Schwartz; State Degree - Landen Miller, Tucker Taylor, Julia Guske, Trey Seubert; American Degree at State Level: Wyatt Schwartz (Competing at Nationals)

St. John-Endicott

Farm Business Management - 8th Place: Ashlynn Forest, Dan McGuire, Warren Repp, Cameron Mathia; Ag Issues - 6th Place: Kate Hergert, Olivia Shawgo (1st Place Individual), Birch Brown, Cole Clements, Dakota Fox; Ag Communications - 4th Place: Kate Hergert, Olivia Shawgo, Dakota Fox, Halee Berg; Employment Skills - 1st Place: Kate Hergert (Going to Nationals); State Degrees - Kate Hergert, Olivia Shawgo; American Degree - Kyra Holt.

St. John-Endicott FFA was also awarded the FFA Superior Chapter Award for their dedicated hours of volunteering and organization.

Oakesdale

In Division 1 - Social Science: Addy Lisenbee - 1st place; Animal Systems: Ben Erb - 1st place; Plant Systems: Sam Dingman - 1st place; Environmental, Natural Resources: Dutch Klaveano - 1st place; In Division 2, Plant Systems: Eli Wagner & Houston Jeffries - 1st place; In Division 3, Animal Systems: Riley Richardson - 1st place; Power, Structure, & Technical Systems: Kellan DeMeerleer - 1st place; Power, Structure, & Technical Systems: Caleb - 1st place; Food Products & Processing: Kasey McHargue and Jacob Goyke - 1st place; Environmental, Natural Resources: Avery Roper - 1st place; In Division 5, Animal Systems: Samantha Holling - 1st place; Plant Systems: Dane Booth - 1st place.

Author Bio

Olivia Harnack, Editorial Reporter

Olivia Harnack is a Journalist at the Whitman County Gazette. Olivia is enrolled at University of Idaho and is majoring in digital film studies. She serves in the United States Army National Guard and is proud to serve Whitman County.

• Email: editor@wcgazette.com