February 6, 2002

ND Beef Commission Awards Scholarship to NDSU Meats Judging Team

Four members of the 2001-2002 North Dakota State University Meats Judging Team each received a portion of the North Dakota Beef Commission Meat Judging Scholarship recently.

The North Dakota Beef Commission sponsors the $1,000 scholarship to defray costs of attending the meats judging contest affiliated with the American Royal Livestock Show in Kansas City, Mo., and promote achievement. The NDSU Meats Judging Team competed at the American Royal in November. The scholarship recipients were determined based on their performance at the contest.

The top four NDSU judgers split the $1,000 with first place winner Kate Effertz of Bismarck receiving $400, second place winner Billie Galbreath of Enderlin receiving $300, third place winner Jennifer Oelke, Glyndon, Minn. receiving $200, and fourth place winner Bleaux Johnson, Lemmon, S.D. receiving $100.

Kate Effertz commented, "It is great to have the extra incentive and encouragement from organizations like the Beef Commission. We really appreciate the scholarship that they sponsored."

Paul Berg, associate professor of animal science, is the NDSU Meats Judging coach. He notes the NDSU meats judging team competes at four other contests during the year and the North Dakota Beef Commission is the team’s only sponsor so far.

The team of Effertz, Galbreath, Oelke, and Johnson is the same team that that won the Southeastern Contest in Louisville, KY in April. Each of the team members placed in the top 10 at that contest with the team winning both pork judging and beef grading.

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Source: Paul Berg, (701) 231-7683, pberg@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Writer: Deana Oe, (701) 271-9167, deana.oe@ndsu.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu