Youth News
Updated- Oklahoma FFA Sends 16 Proficiency Award Finalists to Louisville to Compete Next Week
Tue, 20 Oct 2015 08:32:55 CDT
Updated- In reviewing the full list of Proficiency finalists- Oklahoma actually has sixteen finalists that will go to Louisville and represent the state- not fifteen. The sixteenth finalist is Katy Leonard of Afton FFA, who is a national finalist in Ag Sales- Placement. As a result, we have revised our feature on the young men and ladies who will represent Oklahoma in the Proficiency Awards- Here is the updated article:
The Oklahoma FFA Association will once again be strongly represented in the 49 program areas that make up the National Proficiency Awards that will be selected and recognized at the 88th National Convention of the FFA. Over the last three years, Oklahoma has amassed twenty national titles in the Proficiency contest- the most of any state in the country. In 2014, five Oklahoma FFA members won national titles, Oklahoma claimed seven in 2013 and eight in 2012.
In 2015, Oklahoma is tied with two other states with the third most finalists of any state- with Reighly Blakley of Oologah looking to add her third National Proficiency Award to her resume- this one in the Beef Production, Entrepreneurship category. She has previously won a national title in 2014 and in 2012. (Reighly is pictured here with her 2014 honors)
Blake Goss is also trying to repeat as a National Champion- having won a previous National Proficiency Award in Emerging Agricultural Technology. Goss also was named the 2015 Star Farmer of Oklahoma at the 2015 State Convention this past April.
Top states in the numbers of finalists that will be traveling to Louisville for the 88th National Convention and Expo include Ohio with 23 Finalists, Wisconsin with 18, while Oklahoma, California and Georgia all boast of 16.
Students can compete for awards in 49 areas covering everything from Agricultural Communications to Wildlife Management. Each award area has two categories, placement and entrepreneurship- although in some award area- those two categories are combined.
Placement proficiency awards are given to those whose SAEs are related to employment, apprenticeships, or internships at an agribusiness or agriculture-related organization. Entrepreneurship proficiency awards are given to those whose SAEs are related to ownership of an agribusiness or agriculture-related organization. Proficiency awards are given out at the local, state and national levels.
The Oklahoma Proficiency Finalists and their area of competition include:
Baylea Block, Harrah- Agricultural Processing
Megan Trantham, Boise City- Agricultural Sales Entrepreneurship
Katy Leonard, Afton- Agricultural Sales-Placement
Hallie Barnes, Porter- Agriscience Research Integrated Systems
Reighly Blakley, Oologah- Beef Production Entrepreneurship
Jordan Storey, Valliant- Beef Production Placement
Kohl Murray, Perkins-Tryon- Diversified Crop Production Placement
Mason Pitts, Ripley- Diversified Livestock
Brent Mibb, Adair- Equine Science Entrepreneurship
Brock Boeckman, Kingfisher- Grain Production Entrepreneurship
Bayli Hyde, Burlington- Home and/or Community Development
Jacob Cammack, Edmond- Landscape Management
Leza Stemple, Vinita- Poultry Production
Kaylee Brunker, Perkins-Tryon- Sheep Production
Blake Goss, Leedey- Turf Grass Management
Coleman Sanders, Asher- Veterinary Science
Our exclusive coverage of the 2015 National FFA Convention in Louisville is a service of ITC, Your Energy Superhighway. Learn more about ITC Great Plains, LLC by clicking here. We also appreciate the support of the Oklahoma FFA Association and the Oklahoma FFA Alumni Association. Click here for more information about one of the top states in the US in the FFA- the Oklahoma FFA Association. Oklahoma FFA impacts the lives of 27,154 members in 359 chapters across the state.
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