Sleepy Eye FFA Excels at State FFA Convention

 

Fifty-nine Sleepy Eye FFA Members traveled to the University of Minnesota Campuses and State Fairgrounds, where they participated in the Annual Minnesota FFA State Convention. More than 4,700 FFA members, advisors and guests from throughout the state gathered for the convention from Sunday, April 24 – Tuesday, April 26, 2022.

The Sleepy Eye FFA members traveled to Convention with Advisors, Mary Hoffmann, Katie Emmett, and McKenzie Wagelie, Assistant Advisor Ben Seifert, and Student Teacher Kaiya Novacek.

The Sleepy Eye FFA Career Development Event teams brought home plaques and success stories after competing at the state level. Nine Sleepy Eye FFA CDE Teams placed in the Top Thirteen for CDE contests.

Sleepy Eye CDE Results:
Poultry Team: State Winner – Advanced to Nationals!

• Isaac Lendt (1^st at State),  Adam Johnson (2^nd at State), Winsten Nienhaus (6^th at State), Noah Rossbach

 Milk Quality Team: 2^nd Place Gold at State

• Katelyn Capacia (4^th place at State), Megan Sellner, Rylee Jennisen, Jace Schauman

 Market Plan: 5^th at State

• Gunny Coulson, Alexis Garza, Lee Wahlborg

 Floriculture Team: 7^th Place Gold at State

• Brooke Arneson (8^th individual at State), Morgan Hoffmann, Presley Bauer, Miah Brown

Soils Team: 10^th Place Gold at State

• Maddi Helget, Caleb Suess, Nathan Rathman, MacKenna Fischer

 Dairy Team: 11^th Place Gold at State

• Rachel Portner (13^th individual at State), Gracie Sellner, Emma Fischer, Lucia Martinez

 Best Informed Greenhand (BIG) Team: 12^th & 13^th Place Gold at State

• Chloe Howe (12^th place individual), Jose Castorena, Nora Coulson, Yanellie Fernandez, Tim Friton, Brissa Hernandez, Lily Kallevig, Izzy Kunkel, Manny Poplow, Adam Rodriguez,  Noemi Rodriguez, Cody Schultz, and Nolan Weicherding

 Meats: Silver at State

• Alex Confer, Yuridia Fernandez, Trevor Rathman, Gavin Fischer

 Nursery Landscape Team: Silver at State

• Kyle Capacia, Marcus Martinez , Leisha Martinez, Austin Uecker

 Forestry Team: Bronze at State

• Daniel Armstrong, Jaelynn Schauman, Sam Price, Hannah Meyer

 In the proficiency category, the following individuals placed in the top three in the state:
Morgan Hoffmann – Ag. Communications: 1st at State – Advanced to Nationals

Jake Price – Landscape Management: 1st at State – Advanced to Nationals

Adam Johnson – Poultry Production: 1st at State – Advanced to Nationals

Isaac Lendt – Swine Production Entrepreneurship: Runner Up at State

The Sleepy Eye FFA had 10 members receive their State FFA Degrees while at the State FFA Convention. They included: Wyatt Barnes, Presley Braun, Katelyn Capacia, Alexis Garza, Maddison Helget, Sophie Kyllonen, Taylor Lambrecht, Carmen Lendt, Brennen Meyer, and Jacob Schultz.

Sophie Kyllonen was recognized as a State Finalist for Minnesota Star in Ag. Production Placement. We are so proud of her and all of her accomplishments with her Dairy Production Placement Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) Project.

We had several junior high students participate in the State Agriscience Fair this year. These are the results from the Top 3 at State:

Daniel Armstrong – Plant Systems, Division I, 2nd place

Yuridia Fernandez and Maria Galaviz-Camacho – Plant Systems, Division II, 1st place

Destiney Dittbenner and Taylor Berkner – Plant Systems, Division II, 2nd place

Ari Krzmarzick and Emma Weilage – Plant Systems, Division II, 3rd place

Schultz.

Sleepy Eye FFA was named the Runner Up Chapter in the State of Minnesota for the National Chapter Award. In addition, the Sleepy Eye FFA Chapter was recognized for their participation in the Land of Service Challenge and the Ag. Literacy Challenge.  Sleepy Eye was the Top Chapter for the Ag. Literacy Challenge and 4^th place in the state for the Land of Service Challenge. Sleepy Eye FFA was also recognized as a Model of Innovation Finalist for Growing Leaders – Wee Deliver Buddies Program with 3^rd graders.

Other happenings at convention included: hearing from great speakers, Courtney Zimmerman (National FFA Officer) and P.J. Fleck (Gophers Football Coach) as well as State FFA Officer retiring addresses, Leisha Martinez participating in the 2022 State FFA Officer Nominating Committee, and our chapter helping with two major service projects (making cards/posters for nursing home residents and helping to set up the Career Connections booths).

The Sleepy Eye FFA has a lot to be proud of in 2022. The members worked very hard this year to qualify for and excel at their state competitions! Advisor Mary Hoffmann states, “I am so proud of all of the hard work that the Sleepy Eye FFA members show on a daily basis! Through their efforts with CDE’s, their SAE’s, Ag. Courses, and Community Services projects, these members show and earn success through their great work ethic and dedication!”

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