FFA teams place well at recent meets
By Sandy Morris
Albany High School FFA members have been competing at several district, area, and regional contests over the past two weeks and earning more banners for the club.
Wildlife Contest
The FFA Wildlife judging team competed in the Region 5 contest on Monday, April 12 at Holt River Ranch in Graford.
The team earned first place in district and eighth place in Area 4, which won the members a banner, but didn’t qualify them to advance to the next level.
Team members include Brodey Jones, Jackson Chapman, Cade Neve, Ty Everitt, Ryder Wilkins, Blanton Belcher, Coy Lefevre, and Riley Green.
TSU Area 4 Contest
Three judging teams represented AHS against 120 schools at the Area 4 contest held at Tarleton State University in Stephenville on April 14.
The Horse Judging team of Addie Beth Denton, Landree Connally, Susie Cormack, and Elizabeth Chavez placed first in the Big Country District and sixth in Area 4 and will advance to state.
Connally individually won fifth and Cormack 19th in the contest.
The Range Management and Plant ID team of Ty Everitt, Brodey Jones, Blanton Belcher, and Jackson Chapman earned first place in the Big Country District and eighth in area.
Plant ID team members also will advance to state with the Horse Judging team and will travel to Lubbock this weekend, April 23-24 to compete.
Additionally, the Plant ID team has qualified for the state Environmental Natural Resources contest at Tarleton in May.
The Livestock Judging team earned 10th place in the Big Country District, but did not advance.
Team members include Morgan Garcia, Carli Edgar, Gracie Price, and Leddie Leech.
Speaking Events
FFA members hit the road again on Monday, April 19, traveling to Cisco College for the Big Country Speaking Events.
The Albany FFA chapter received Golden Horizon and National Chapter awards.
The Golden Horizon Chapter recognition is a state-level award which provides a measurement tool for chapter officers and advisors, and recognizes chapters who succeed in involving a large number of members in the diverse array of activities available through FFA.
“This is a big award for our chapter,” said FFA sponsor Chris Beard. “It really shows how every kid in our program is involved in helping our community.”
The National Chapter award is given to FFA programs that actively implement the FFA mission and strategies by emphasizing student, chapter, and community development.
District Officer
Albany sophomore Leddie Leech was elected as first vice-president of the Big Country District for the 2021-22 year.
Leech gave a speech in front of voting delegates present at Cisco College detailing her accomplishments and involvement in the Albany FFA chapter.
Leech, who has been showing pigs and goats in both county and majors since she was eight, comes from a strong FFA background.
Her grandfather, Jim Leech, was the Albany ag teacher prior to Beard, and her father was an ag teacher for 10 years.
A current Albany FFA officer, Radio Broadcasting participant and Livestock judging team member, Leech feels strongly about being an agriculture advocate and instilling those values outside of small towns like Albany.
Leech is the daughter of Cody and Kalico Leech.
Jr. Prepared Speaking
Eighth grader Abi Hale participated in the Junior Prepared Speaking event at Cisco.
Hale researched, wrote, memorized, and presented a speech in front of two judges about her topic of “Meat Packing Monopoly.”
Competing against freshmen in this event, Hale took home third place honors.
Voting Delegates
Ty Everitt, Shae Shaffer, and Cooper Edgar served as Albany FFA voting delegates at Cisco.
The members were part of the delegation that voted on district and area officers for the 2021-22 year.
The group will go to the Area 4 Convention May 17 at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls to vote on area talent, area officers, and state officers.
Beard said he is extremely proud of all that his students are accomplishing this year.
“This is just a great group of kids to work with, said Beard. “The teams are really studying hard for the next level of competition, and my horse judging team members are all naturals. These are the types of students who make my job so much fun.”
