Thursday, Oct. 23, 45 Johnson-Brock FFA members competed at the District Livestock Evaluation Competition at the Gage County Fairgrounds and Southeast Community College in Beatrice.
In this competition, students evaluate eight sets of animals, including cattle, hogs, sheep and goats, ranking them one through four depending on the market or breeding traits. The junior and senior divisions must also present oral reasons to a judge explaining how and why they placed the animals the way they did.
In the senior division, there were 109 competitors. Emily Bohling earned a blue ribbon. Calvin Benham earned a red ribbon. Brayden Holthus earned a white ribbon. Also competing were Quentin Behrends and Hana Miller.
In the junior division, there were 176 competitors. Noah Metschke was the district champion and Ayla Eggers was the district runner-up. Oliver Everett earned seventh and Johnny Bohling also earned purple ribbons. Earning blue ribbons were Addison Grotrian, Elliott Brommer, Luke Fulton, Dierks Caspers and Jasmine Olmeda. Earning red ribbons were Caleb Hodges and Marleigh Behrends. Earning a white ribbon was Deacon Bernadt. Others competing were Addison Volker, Sage Armknecht, Kingston Neddenriep, Brogan Bowhay, Tristan Petersen, Craig Anthony and Weston Niss. The team of Metschke, Eggers, Oliver Everett and Johnny Bohling were district champions and will represent Johnson-Brock at the Nebraska State FFA Livestock Evaluation contest in April 2026. The team of Grotrian, Brommer, Fulton and Dierks Caspers placed fifth.
In the middle school division, there were 195 competitors. Maverick Kathol earned a purple ribbon. Earning blue ribbons were Stratton Bowhay, Miles Everett, Jackson Smith and Calum Peck. Earning red ribbons were Dean Rasmussen, Beckett Eggers and Cooper Hawley. Earning white ribbons were Malachi Gerdes, Brecken Ottemann, Emma Wakulinski, Peri Sayer, Evan Grotrian and Emmitt Caspers. Also competing were Eli Holthus, Sophie Hunter, Brantley Robbins, Sebastian Rhodes, Arya Marburger, Reid Niss and Ashton Henne. The team of Kathol, Stratton Bowhay, Miles Everett and Smith earned seventh place.
