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March 26, 2004 NDSU Students Receive High Honors at Midwest Section The North Dakota State University Academic Quadrathlon Team recently earned top honors in competition at the Midwest Section, Animal Science meeting in Des Moines, Iowa. Advised by Marc Bauer, team members included Jessie Wirrenga, Zac Hall, Matt O’Neil and Matt Schaefer. Not only did the NDSU team receive first overall, but they also finished first in the lab practicum, written exam and oral presentation, as well as second in the quiz bowl. “It was a big win and, to the best of my knowledge, the first win for NDSU,” Bauer says. The hands-on lab practicum, along with the written test, was held at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, on March 14. The following day, students gave their group presentations and participated in the quiz bowl in Des Moines. Bauer notes that the quiz bowl is an especially exciting event, as it follows the opening meeting and therefore is viewed by industry professionals and research scientists throughout the region. NDSU was one of fourteen teams in competition, and approximately 1000 people were registered for the meeting. The Midwest Section consists of universities from North Dakota to Kansas, east to Ohio and north to Michigan. Each stage of competition is different in format, but all aspects of the competition challenge students’ comprehension of animal science, either by industry or academia standards. “I would recommend that any student who has the opportunity to participate in this or similar events take advantage of it,” O’Neil says. “It’s a great way to test your knowledge and to meet new people in your area of interest.” The NDSU Academic Quadrathlon Team earned their trip to the regional competition by first winning a local contest held at Shepperd Arena, on the NDSU campus in Fargo, Jan. 23-24. Similar to their performance at the regional event, the team secured first in every category at the local level. The Quadrathlon team was not the only NDSU success at the Midwest Section. Jessie Wirrenga and Bleaux Johnson placed second and third respectively with undergraduate research project presentations. Johnson’s presentation highlighted the effect of cooked molasses tubs on digestion of low quality forage, and Wirrenga’s focus was vascular development of sheep placenta. “An undergraduate research project is one of the best ways for students to become involved in research and the science world, while working with faculty and fellow students,” Wirrenga says. “Presenting my research gave me confidence and helped solidify my decision to pursue graduate school.” Other NDSU undergraduate competitors were Justin Benz and Zac Hall. Jake Reed and Adele Gelvin competed with doctoral and master’s presentations. “The purpose of the Midwest Section meeting is to provide an opportunity for faculty, graduate students and undergraduates to present research and learn from others’ research,” says Ken Odde, head of the NDSU Department of Animal and Range Sciences. “I am very proud of the performance of the NDSU students.” ### Sources:
Marc Bauer, (701) 231-7691, marc.bauer@ndsu.nodak.edu
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