Corrections: This story has been updated to correct multiple incorrect titles.

The SDSU Livestock Judging team has kicked off their semester and season by traveling countless miles to see various species of livestock. 

The students and second-year head coach and instructor Tommy Norman practice every Monday and Wednesday and most weekends in preparation for a busy season.

“The SDSU Livestock Judging Team had a remarkable season last year under first-year coach Tommy Norman. Grace Olinger, Assistant Coach and Department of Animal Science graduate student provided invaluable guidance to help ensure the success of the team,” said Dr. John Jaeger, the Calvin and Mary Endowed Department Head of Animal Science.

“Judging is a large time commitment, and the level of investment needed to be competitive isn’t cheap but can also be incredibly rewarding!”

The Senior Team

The 2024-2025 Senior Livestock Judging Team is made up of two individuals, Braden West of Sheridan, Wyoming and Mitchell VanderWal of Howard, South Dakota.

After losing team members who were presented with career and academic opportunities that required them to make the tough decision to step away from their judging career. 

“I am fortunate as the livestock judging coach to consistently have the opportunity to mentor so many sought-after students,” says Norman. “I view my role as an opportunity to equip students with skillsets outside of livestock judging and am proud of the directions they have chosen, even though they have stepped away from the team.”

The small but mighty team has hit the ground running in preparation for all of their contents this fall.

The seniors have traveled to AKSARBEN in Grand Island, Nebraska; World Beef Expo in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Tulsa State Fair in Tulsa, Oklahoma and American Royal in Kansas City, Missouri.

The final two contests on the docket for the season is the Mid-American in Hutchinson, Kansas; and NAILE  in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Junior Team

Codee Kopelchuk, Jack Link, Drew Stock, Haley Dodge, Jamie Geyer, Teigen Hadrick, Garrett Johnson, Brooklyn Mettler, Justus Moser, Haley Mouser, Drew Revier, Brett Roberts, Ella Stiefvater, Kelsey Swearinger, Katie VanDenTop and Olivia Woytiuk are enrolled in Animal Science 201, Introduction to Livestock Judging.

In the spring, the junior team will travel to the Griswold Classic in Stillwater, Oklahoma; Cattlemen’s Congress in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colorado; Sioux Falls Farm Show in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Iowa Beef Expo in Des Moines, Iowa; Nebraska Cattlemen’s in Kearney, Nebraska; San Antonio Livestock Exposition in San Antonio, Texas and the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo in Houston, Texas.

“I am extremely excited to work with new students from both the U.S. and Canada,” says Norman. “These juniors are ambitious and receptive and being a top five team at the National Contest is always the goal and I am excited to push this team towards success!”

The Kohler-Gee Endowment

The Kohler-Gee Endowment is used to provide a portion of the salary for a full-time livestock judging coach and support the youth livestock judging camps and programs that take place in the summer. Former coaches, the late Dr. Paul “Buck” Kohler and Dan Gee, along with colleagues David Anderson and Robert Hansen, assembled the $1 million endowment fund.  

“The team has been faced with significantly increased travel costs, especially regarding lodging expenses. Coach Norman works to limit or cut costs, identify sponsors, and still recruit top-notch team members,” says Dr. Jaeger. “His coaching efforts are apparent this year with early season top five individual placings already in the book. Congratulations to this year’s team and Coach Norman!”