Black Hawk College East Campus has once again demonstrated its dominance in agricultural education, clinching the Sweepstakes Award at the 2025 North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Judging Conference. Held at West Texas A&M University, this marks the 16th time BHC has won the prestigious title. Fifty-three students and six coaches contributed to a strong showing, with top placements in events including Equine Management, Livestock Management, Soils, and Vet Science. Individual standouts included Blake LeFevre in Agriculture Mechanics, Gabby Olson in Equine Management, and Grace Cruise in Vet Science. Congratulations to BHC for this impressive achievement.
Congratulations to coaches Dr. Blake Bloomberg (Ag Communications, Dairy Cattle Judging, Livestock Judging, and Livestock Management), Aaron Callahan (Equine Management and Parliamentary Procedure), Drew Cotton (Agricultural Business), Janet Johnson (Ag Computers, Knowledge Bowl, Portfolio, and Vet Science), Andrew Larson (Soils), Cole Wright (Agriculture Mechanics, Crops and Precision Ag)
Black Hawk College team and top individual results:
Ag Communications
Team – 4th
Ag Computers
Team – 3rd
Agricultural Business
Team members – Melana Followwill, Blair Snyder, Makenna Walker and Emily West
Top individual placing:
6th – Melana Followwill
Agriculture Mechanics
Team members – Wyatt Harby, John Hoben, Blake LeFevre and Jesse Wright
Top individual placing:
1st – Blake LeFevre
Crops
Team members – Wyatt Harby, Kayla Vandenburg, Makenna Walker and Paige Wexell
Dairy Cattle Judging
Team – 2nd
Top individual placings:
1st – Kelsey Zepp
8th (tie) – Chase Harker
8th (tie) – Drew Jacobson
10th – Will Hoopes
Equine Management
Team – 1st
Top individual placings:
1st – Gabby Olson
2nd – Katie Clemens
Horse Judging
Team – 2nd for Black Hawk College B and 3rd for Black Hawk College A
Top 20 individual placings:
1st – Grace Hingtgen
5th – Talia Pierard
8th – Ellie Anderson
9th – Enrique Contreras
12th – Patrick Royer
13th – Katelyn Clemens
16th – Aley Rivera
19th – Chloe Owens
Knowledge Bowl
Team members – Shelton Biddle, Karsyn Cocanower, Logan Goerks, Wyatt Harby and Olivia Shike
Livestock Judging
Team – 2nd
Top 20 individual placings:
1st – Drew Jacobson
4th – Amy Geary
6th – Olivia Shike
8th – Nick Jackson
12th – Logan Corzatt
13th – Chase Harker
14th – Jace Judson
15th – Kelsey Zepp
16th – Addyson Lehman
20th – Wyatt Baxter
Livestock Management
Team – 1st
Top individual placings:
1st – Karsyn Cocanower
2nd – Olivia Shike
Parliamentary Procedure
Team members – Abby Cash, Grace Hingtgen, Gabby Olson and Aley Rivera
Portfolio
Team members – Lydia Barnett, Grace Cruise, Jenna Doering and Sami Fender
Precision Ag
Team members – Wyatt Harby, John Hoben, Blake LeFevre and Jesse Wright
Soils
Team – 1st
Top individual placings:
1st – Shelton Biddle
3rd – Rachel DeRyche
4th – Luke Nelson
7th – Logan Goerks
8th – Blair Snyder
9th – John Hoben
10th – Brik Rediger
Vet Science
Team – 1st
Top individual placings:
1st – Grace Cruise
2nd – Jenna Doering
4th – Lydia Barnett
7th – Sami Fender
BHC won the Sweepstakes Award in 1981-85, 1989, 2009, 2014, 2016-19, and 2022-24. The contest was not held in 2020 or 2021.
