Quiz Bowl Team Captures National Championship for Second Straight Year

Texas Tech University’s Meat Science Academic Quiz Bowl Team earned the title of National Champions at the 67th Reciprocal Meat Conference (RMC) in Madison, Wisconsin.

The Red Raiders entered two teams in the contest, sponsored by Hormel, finishing first and third against 27 other teams from the top meat science programs at 19 universities. Colorado State University finished second.

“The students who competed are extremely intelligent,” said Mark Miller, professor and San Antonio Livestock Show & Rodeo Distinguished Chairman in Meat Science. “Their performance at RMC was a great reflection of the high academic standards of Texas Tech’s Department of Animal and Food Sciences.”

RMC is an annual conference sponsored by the American Meat Science Association (AMSA), which brings together meat scientists and students from academia, industry and government. There were 850 registered attendees at the conference from 19 countries.

Texas Tech also won the competition in 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2013.

The 2014 team members included:

• Caetlyn Avant, a senior from Copeville
• Brittany Blum, a senior from Howe
• Hayden Brown, a senior from Midland
• Lindsey Drey, a junior from Houston
• Kaitlyn Farmer, a senior from Aztec, New Mexico
• Taylor Frank, a senior from Berthoud, Colorado
• Jeremy Garcia, a senior from Houston
• Deshea Hanagan, a junior from Artesia, New Mexico
• Nick Hardcastle, a senior from Wheeler
• David Holland, a senior from Killeen
• Austin Langemeier, a senior from Marion
• Kassandra Ognoskie, a junior from Orting, Washington
• Autumn Ritchey, a junior from Houston
• Chad Vanderlinden, a senior from Muscatine, Iowa
• Christy Woerner, a junior from Fredericksburg

Undergraduate Scholastic Awards

Additionally, two Texas Tech students were also honored by the AMSA for their outstanding academic achievement and leadership in the meat science industry. Heather Rode received an AMSA Scholastic Achievement Award while Austin Langemeier earned honorable mention.

Alumna Honored

At the awards banquet, Deidrea Mabry was awarded the Distinguished Achievement Award. The award is designed to recognize and foster the development of young AMSA members who have demonstrated significant scientific skills in muscle foods research and technology that contribute to the animal products industry.

Mabry, the Director of Scientific Communications and Technical Programs for AMSA, earned her bachelor’s of science from Texas Tech in Agricultural Communications in 2003 and her master’s of science degree in Animal Science in 2006.

Iron Chef Competition

Another Texas Tech student, Bo Hutto, competed on the Iron Chef first-place team which was composed of 10 students from various universities. The team was given a mystery protein when they arrived at the conference and were asked to develop a product using a secret ingredient. Hutto’s team developed a chicken pot pie in a bowl made of weaved bacon. The competition was sponsored by Kraft Foods and the recipe will be featured on their company website.

Additionally, Texas Tech students displayed 19 research posters at the conference. Loni Woolley, a meat science graduate student, was inducted as the AMSA Student Board President, and Hutto was recognized as the South Region Director.