BROOKINGS Students in the South Dakota State University Department of Dairyand Food Science brought home high honors in national collegiatedairycompetitions this spring.
The SDSUDairyCattle Judging Team placed first overall at the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Judging Conference held in Canyon, Texas.Dairycattle judging evaluates the physical conformation of different breeds ofdairyanimals and helps students to learn decision-making skills and communication through giving oral reasons for those placings.
Evelyn Scheffler was high individual overall. Vanessa Gonzalez placed first in reasons and third overall. Dillion Sparrgrove placed 10th overall. The team is coached by SDSU faculty member Turner Swartz and will judge in additional contests in the 2025-26 academic year.
The SDSUDairyProducts Judging Team placed second overall at the 2025 101st CollegiateDairyProducts Evaluation Contest, held in Madison, Wisconsin.Dairyproducts judging involves students evaluating the appearance, body and texture and flavor of sixdairyproducts (milk, butter, cheddar cheese, ice cream, yogurt and cottage cheese). A total of 48 undergraduate and graduate contestants from nine universities in the U.S. participated in the contest.
Team members were undergraduates Emma Mulhern, Brianna Moss, Tucker Anderson, Lauren Steffl and graduate Zeel Modi. The team was coached by Maneesha Mohan, SDSU associate professor indairymanufacturing and Alfred Chair indairyeducation, assisted by Caitlin Swanson, Jessemy Sharp and Ting Mao.
Mulhern placed fourth, Moss placed eighth, and Anderson placed ninth in all products. In the graduate student contest, Modi placed first in all products.
The SDSUDairyChallenge Team traveled to Gainesville, Florida, for the North American IntercollegiateDairyChallenge Contest, placing fourth overall, just one point out of second place. Students tour adairyoperation and review production practices, herd management and financial records to assess what thedairydoes well and where improvements can be made. Students then work together to develop recommendations for the farm and present those recommendations to a panel of judges.
The team consisted of Randall Winch, Hayley Daubert, Briana Maus and Emma Eggenberger, coached by SDSU faculty Maristela Rovai and South Dakotadairyproducer Lynn Boadwine. The team also included academy team members Evelyn Scheffler, Dillion Sparrgrove and Andrew Czech. Lauren Steffl was in the social media corps for the contest.
We are very proud of these students accomplishments at the national collegiate competitive level, said Londa Nwadike, David A. Thompson Endowed Department Head ofDairyand Food Science. This success speaks well not only to their hard work and training here at SDSU, but also their ability to demonstrate their preparedness for successful careers in thedairyand food science industries.
More information on the departments judging teams and other student activities is available here.
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