Chewing The Cud

What is the recipe for success? Combine one-cup dedication, two tablespoons of teamwork, a dash of dreams, a dollop of endurance, and a whopping pound of hard work. Mix together and success is earned. This was the philosophy of the 2008 South Dakota State University (SDSU) Intercollegiate Meats Judging Team as they made their way to compete in their first contest of the season.

Their recipe for success paid off as the 2008 SDSU Meats Judging Team made their mark in Jackrabbit history as the first SDSU team to take home the championship at the National Western Stock Show Intercollegiate Meats Judging Contest, Greeley, Colo. on Jan. 21. Team members of the SDSU team include: Jace Hollenbeck, Harrisburg, S.D.; Katelyn Milton, Brooklyn Park, Minn.; Tyler Radke, Minnesota Lake, Minn.; Tyler Urban, Lennox, S.D.; Robbie Hellberg, Paso Robles, Cali.; Eric Hogle, Clarion, Iowa; and Amanda Nolz, Mitchell, S.D. The team is coached by Dustin Mohrhauser, Hartford, S.D. and assistant coach Sarah Wells, Cumberland, Ohio.

What Does it Take?

To participate in collegiate meats judging, students must first take an introductory class. After completion of the course, those eligible begin spending countless hours in the school’s meat lab as well as packing plants to perfect their skills. To be successful, terminology must be memorized, reasoning skills must be honed to defend class placings, and the talents of an official USDA grader must be instilled into the student. For the students on the 2008 South Dakota State Meats Judging Team, that meant long, vigorous days of practice devoted to learning the skills needed to compete.

“Putting in over fifty hours in practice the week before the competition was certainly long, painstaking, and intense,” said team member Jace Hollenbeck. “Thanks to our coaches and our team’s efforts, the hard work and long hours definitely paid off.”

With universities meeting from all over the country to vie for the first win of the season, practice was vital to gaining an edge on the competition. Coach Dustin Mohrhauser knows what it takes to win a contest. Mohrhauser competed on a successful team in 2005. He hopes to share the skills and lessons he learned as a collegiate meats judger with his team.

“It’s essential to make sure the team is prepared for everything,” said Mohrhauser, a graduate student at South Dakota State University. “We set up classes in practice to prepare the team for potential things they could see in a contest. We have to maintain our focus and keep working to grow and learn.”

Meats judging, a competitive, educational program of the American Meat Science Association (AMSA) provides contests consisting of four different sections: placing classes, reasons, specifications, and grading. Evaluating pork, lamb and beef, students defend their decisions through written reasons and calculate the value of various cuts and carcasses through specification calls and quality and yield grading.

Finding Success

The 2008 South Dakota State University Meats Judging Team is off to a great start. As a team, SDSU placed second in beef grading, third in lamb judging, first in pork judging, second in beef judging, second in specifications, first in placing classes, and second in reasons writing.

“I thought this team showed a lot of potential, and it really shined through in this contest,” said Mohrhauser, who holds several all-time individual records at SDSU, “It’s pretty exciting to have the high placing team. Everyone showed up to compete, and we all had a good day. Our team has to realize this is the first contest, and everyone will be working hard for the next competition. We just need to keep working towards our goals for a successful season.”

As individuals, team member Katelyn Milton placed eleventh, Tyler Radke placed tenth, Amanda Nolz placed ninth, and Jace Hollenbeck earned the prestigious top honor with high point individual in the senior division. Team member Eric Hogle placed fifth in the alternate contest.

Of his high point win Hollenbeck said, “I wasn’t looking to win the individual competition. Winning the team title was very important, and I wanted to win the contest as a team. Taking the high individual award definitely feels good, and I look forward to competing with my team at the next contest.”

Other contest winners include: Colorado State University, second place; Oklahoma State University, third place; University of Wyoming, fourth place; and Texas A&M, fifth place. The National Western Stock Show Intercollegiate Meats Judging Contest was established in 1975. The next competition will be the Southwestern Intercollegiate Meats Judging Contest held in Fort Worth, Tex., Feb. 2. The meats judging season will resume in the fall with several competitions held across the country.