Local FFA Students Excel at 2018 Dean Merrell Memorial South Central District FFA Field Day

By Angela Askey, Executive Director Public Relations and Marketing

Each year, Central Arizona College’s Dean Merrell Future Farmers of America Field Day brings together students from the south central Arizona region to compete in events such as Agricultural Business, Agronomy, Agriculture Mechanics, Entomology, Vet Science, Horse Judging, Job Interview, Livestock Judging, Nursery Operations, Range Management, and Soil. Total attendance at this year’s event was 195 students and guests.

Today, more than 653,359 FFA members, in grades seven through 12 throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are developing their own unique talents and exploring their interests in a broad range of career pathways.

FFA Field Days provide an opportunity for FFA members to showcase the skills they have been learning in the classroom by applying those ideas to real-world situations. Those who excel at the local level earn the chance to compete at the state and potentially, at the national level.

This annual competition is named for Dean Merrell, CAC’s first professor of agriculture and is co-sponsored by the institution’s Agriculture and Advanced Technology division and its students.

Following is a listing of the 2018 Dean Merrell Memorial Field Day winners:

Agriculture Mechanics

Individual Rankings

1^st         Royal Whitehead, Casa Grande

2^nd        Seth Stager, Casa Grande

3^rd        Cutter Boyle, Casa Grande

Team Rankings

1^st        Casa Grande (Cutter Boyle, Samuel Florez, Seth Stager, and Royal Whitehead)

2^nd        Casa Grande (Naiya Guin, Levi Joiner, Logan Mead, Leon Orlando)

3^rd        Marana (Lytle Albright, Jeff Block, Johnathan Conningham and Annysia Martinez)

Agronomy

Individual Rankings

1^st        Caleb Clark, Casa Grande

2^nd        Amanda Garcia, Casa Grande

3^rd        Hailey Ellison, Cienega

Team Rankings

1^st        Casa Grande (Caleb Clark, Danna Conway, Amanda Garcia, and Blake Norris)

2^nd        Cienega (Jolee Amdol, Jazmine Arnold, Hailey Ellison, and Taylor Shipley)

3^rd        Rio Rico (Emma Luna, Anai Ruiz, Shelsie Trejo, and Marco Valenzuela)

Aquaculture

Individual Rankings

1^st        Nolan Ferrell, Florence

2^nd        Brian Scott, Florence

3^rd        Alexander Ellis, Coolidge

Team Rankings

1^st        Coolidge (Alexander Ellis, Kirynn Jauregue, Alex Renteria, and Tyler Tolley)

2^nd        Rio Rico (Samantha Dela Cerda, Jocelyn Giron, Joge Orrantia, Lizbeth Quiroz)

3^rd        Coolidge (Alexa Chavez, Chris Chavez, Allen Mix, and Manuel Perez)

Ag Business

Individual Rankings

1^st        Matthew Tran, Rio Rico

Entomology

Individual Rankings

1^st        Dustyn Kornman, Coolidge

2^nd        Gwyneth Norwalk, Imagine Prep

3^rd        Alicia Cardona, Imagine Prep

Team Rankings

1^st        Imagine Prep (Jake Ashford, Alicia Cardona,Gwyneth Norwalk, and Henry Ramirez)

2^nd        Coolidge (Deanna Arnold, Dustyn Kornman, Alana Sandnez, and Emily Tate)

3^rd        Rio Rico (David Alverez, Fey Castillo, and Danitza Gar)

Forestry

Individual Rankings

1^st        Ryleigh Green, Marana

2^nd        Karina Norton, Patagonia

3^rd        Johnny Quiroga, Patagonia

Team Rankings

1^st        Patagonia (Dylan Jacobs, Karina Norton, and Johnny Quiroga)

3^rd        Marana (Jorge Estrada and Ryleigh Green)

Horse Judging

Individual Ranking

1^st        Brianna Heath, Pina JTed

2^nd        Megan Dailey, Cienega

3^rd        Kaylee Stamm, Marana

Team Ranking

1^st        Marana (Marley Nesbitt, Chate Pearce, Blake Penrod, and Kaylee Stamm)

2^nd        Pima JTED (Bridget Callahan, Izzy Collins, Jenna Eliot, and Kaylee McCarthy)

3^rd        Coolidge (Michael Bosquez, Navaeh Hernandez, Nathaniel Madril, and David Ortiz)

Job Interview

Individual Ranking

1^st        Brandon Torres, Pima JTed

2^nd        Sarah Serrano-Smith, Florence

3^rd        Melissa Guerrero, Coolidge

Livestock Judging

Individual Ranking

1^st        John Hubbell, Patagonia

2^nd        Juliana Quiroga, Patagonia

3^rd        Connor Petersen, Marana

Team Ranking

1^st        Patagonia (Christa Lorefice, Annie Lucas, Payten Peterson and Rio Ramey)

2^nd        Marana (Alexxis Flores, Christa Loreice, Connor Petersen, and Devin Rossa)

3^rd        Patagonia (John Hubbell, Alexis Pallanes, Jesus Quiroz, and Juliana Quiroga)

Dairy Judging

Individual Ranking

1^st        Michael Tapia, Pima JTed

2^nd        Kauri Heet, Coolidge

3^rd        Lia Barker, Patagonia

Team Ranking

1^st        Pima JTed (Abigail Miller, Jasmine Ntale, Elizabeth Radnothy, and Michael Tapia)

2^nd        Patagonia (Lia Barker, Andres Burgess, Ember Hubbell, and Brianna Young)

3^rd        Pima JTed (Khyle DeGuzman, Jorja Pool, Natalie Pool, and Madyson Zorodsny)

Nursery Operations

Individual Ranking

1^st        Arriana Tovar-Ochoa, Patagonia

2^nd        Gianna Martin, Patagonia

3^rd        Reyna Tovar-Ochoa, Patagonia

Team Ranking

1^st        Patagonia (Gianna Martin, Stefania Tejeda, Arriana Tovar-Ochoa and Reyna Tovar-Ochoa)

2^nd        Rio Rico (Leslie Estrella and Jessica Paz)

Range Management

Individual Ranking

1^st        Demauri Carlos, Baboquivari

2^nd        Jullian Monte, Baboquivari

3^rd        Tayshawn Romero, Baboquivari

Team Ranking

1^st        Baboquivari (Demauri Carlos, Jullian Monte, and Tayshawn Romero)

Soil

Individual Ranking

1^st        Jistone Feliz, Imagine Prep

2^nd        Caleb Brady, Imagine Prep

3^rd        Nicoletta Krinis, Imagine Prep

Team Ranking

1^st        Imagine Prep (Caleb Brady, Jistone Feliz, Nicoletta Krinis, and Matthew Ortiz)

2^nd        Baboquivari (Travis Campillo, Myklyn Juan, and Audrey Martinez)

3^rd        Marana (Megan Donaldson, Acacia Kimbell, and Aubrie Olkiewicz)

Vet Science

Individual Ranking

1^st        Anna Ellis, Pima JTED

2^nd        Gracie Hufford, Pima JTED

3^rd        Devin Miller, Pima JTED

Team Ranking

1^st        Pima JTED (Hannah Capara, Zach Collier, Gracie Hufford, and Devin Miller)

2^nd        Pima JTED (Anna Ellis, Julia Dytko, Danika Markley, and Danielle Stark)

3^rd        Flowing Wells (Jacklyn Buhr, Kylie Hensley, Colby John, and Sonia Martinez)

The National Future Farmers of America (FFA) organization was founded in 1928 by a group of young farmers with the mission of preparing future generations for the challenges of feeding a growing population. In 1988, the official name was changed to “The National FFA Organization” to reflect the growing diversity of agriculture.