Voegele receives spirit award
DAKOTA CITY – Two members of the TAMU Meat Judging Team were named to the Senior Division All-American Meat Judging Team at the International Intercollegiate Meat Judging Contest held Nov. 18, 2012, at Tyson Foods in Dakota City, Neb.
Left, Meagan Igo, Kevin Doonan, Lance Wheeler, Preston Gates, Trey Brooks, Hope Voegele, Lexus Weinheimer, Lauren Thompson, Morgan Merdian and Melanie Moore.
Trey Brooks and Kevin Doonan were among the eight students from across the country who received this high honor.
The American Meat Science Association recognizes students for their performance in judging and their grade point average by naming them to the All-American teams.
Brooks, from Llano, is a senior animal science and agriculture economics double major. He is a member of the Saddle & Sirloin Club and was a member of the 2011 Meat Science Quiz Bowl national championship team.
Doonan, from Caldwell, is a junior animal science major. He is a member of the Saddle & Sirloin Club and the Beef Cattle Association, and works for Birkhead Cattle Company in Burleson County.
Also at the international contest, TAMU Meat Judging Team finished 11th overall, which marks the end of this year’s competition season.
Other team members are Preston Gates, animal science and poultry science major from Houston; and animal science majors Morgan Merdian, from Anderson; Lauren Thompson, from Grandview; Hope Voegele, from Waco; Lexus Weinheimer, from Stonewall; and Lance Wheeler, from Dallas.
The team is coached by Meagan Igo and assistant Melanie Moore, both graduate students in meat science. Dr. Davey Griffin is the team coordinator.
In other contests this fall, the Meat Judging Team finished fifth high team at the Eastern National Meat Judging Contest, fifth at the American Royal Intercollegiate Meat Judging Contest and second at the Cargill Meat Solutions High Plains Intercollegiate Meat Judging Contest.
Spirit Award
Hope Voegele, a junior from Hewitt, was presented the 2012 Rachel Hamilton Spirit Award.
This spirit award is named in memory of Rachel Hamilton who served the American Meat Science Association as program director of meat judging for four years until her death. The award is voted on by members of each team and recognizes the one team member whose winning approach exemplifies Rachel’s love of meats judging.
“Hope is truly a team player,” said Griffin. “She worked extremely hard all year and has developed a real interest in the meat industry. She is loved by her teammates and epitomizes what the Rachel Hamilton Spirit Award is all about.”
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For more information regarding news from the Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Texas A&M University, please contact Courtney Coufal at cacoufal@tamu.edu or (979) 845-1542.