By Moriah Beyers, Texas Tech University News Release
LUBBOCK – Texas Tech University’s Meat Science Academic Quiz Bowl Team earned the title of National Champions at the 69th Reciprocal Meat Conference (RMC), defeating Colorado State University in the final round of competition.
It marks the second straight national championship for the Texas Tech team and eighth title since 2003. The team, coached by Lindsey Drey, previously won the crown in 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2013 and 2014.
The 2016 Student Research Competition also was held at the RMC with a total of 41 participants, eight in the undergraduate division, 22 in the master’s division and 11 in the doctoral competition. Nathan Tapp, a recent Texas Tech graduate, won the doctoral division while Keelyn Hanlon received honorable mention in the master’s division.
RMC is an annual conference sponsored by American Meat Science Association (AMSA), which brings together meat scientists and students from academia, industry and government. This year the conference was hosted by Angelo State University, a campus in the Texas Tech University System, in June.
The 2016 Undergraduate Quiz Bowl contest was a competitive event with 136 undergraduates representing 34 teams. The Red Raiders entered two teams.
“The students who competed are extremely intelligent,” said Mark Miller, professor and the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo Distinguished Chair in Meat Science. “Their performance at RMC was a great reflection of the high academic standards of our Department of Animal and Food Sciences.”
Miller also was honored with the 2016 AMSA Intercollegiate Meat Judging Meritorious Service Award.
In addition to the overall title, two students earned individual awards. Darby Gonzales, a senior from Hondo, and Erin Beyer, a senior from Brookshire, both in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences, were honored by the AMSA for their outstanding academic achievement and leadership in the meat science industry.
The RMC also held its first Processed Meat Judging Contest during the conference where students were evaluated and answered questions on six classes of various processed products. Additionally, there was a keep/cull bacon class, 10 processed meat product defects and retail identification.
Texas Tech took top honors in the undergraduate division with a team that consisted of Clay Bendele, a senior from Hondo (third place); Cody Shannon (a senior from Royse City (fourth place); and Tommy Fletcher, a junior from La Vernia (sixth place). Fifty-five undergraduate students from nine universities competed.
Other members of the team are:
• Dean Chapman, a sophomore from Sweetwater
• Landon French, a senior from Burleson
• Ben Mills, a sophomore from Shallowater
• April Molitor, a sophomore from Hondo
• Shannon O’Quinn, a junior from League City
• Cole Perkins, a junior from Llano
• Kiersten Scott, a junior from Scott City, Kansas
• Keeley Sears, a junior from Weatherford
Eight Texas Tech students competed in the Iron Chef competition. Clay Braden, from Wall, was a member of the first-place team, which was composed of 10 students from various universities. Sean Morrow from Sweetwater was a member of the second-place team, which also won People’s Choice Award.
Teams were given a mystery protein when they arrived at the conference and were asked to develop a product using a secret ingredient.
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