Will Gibson takes the overall individual crown to pace Texas Tech to the top finish.
After coming up one point short in its first competition of the season, the Texas Tech University Livestock Judging Team in the Department of Animal & Food Sciences edged a pair of Big 12 Conference rivals to capture the crown at the Flinthills/Mid-America Classic in Hutchinson, Kansas, on Friday (Sept. 29).
Texas Tech totaled 4,714 points, edging Kansas State University by two points while a pair of teams from Oklahoma State University finished in third and fourth places, respectively.
Texas Tech's team finished first or second in all four categories, taking first place in sheep/goat judging and second place in beef judging, swine judging and reasons.
Will Gibson, a senior from Newton, Mississippi, paced the Texas Tech team to the win by claiming the individual title with 970 points. Jack Redifer, a senior from Blacksburg, Virginia, was fourth with 954 points followed by Mason Weadock, a senior from Wall, in 10th place with 937 points.
Gibson's effort was paced by first-place finishes in reasons and swine judging and third-place finishes in beef judging and sheep/goats. Redifer finished first in sheep/goats and seventh in both reasons and beef judging. Weadock was eighth in reasons.
Also, Jim Waldrop, a senior from Moultrie, Georgia, took fifth in sheep/goats while Kyle Vehige, a senior from Bonnots Mill, Missouri, was sixth in sheep/goats.
Other members of the livestock judging team are:
- Cameron Anderson, a senior from Needville
- Jonah Biensch, a senior from Marsden, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Kaylee Casey, a senior from Malvern, Arkansas
- Mason Flack, a senior from North Henderson, Illinois
- Brayden Hawkins, a senior from Cleburne
- Preston Lawrence, a senior from Pottsboro
The team is coached by Jon DeClerck, a teaching assistant in the Department of Animal & Food Sciences, and is supervised by Ryan Rathmann, the John W. and Doris Jones professor of beef cattle biology.
Find Texas Tech news, experts and story ideas at Texas Tech Today Media Resources or follow us on Twitter.