SD youth earn high marks at 2025 National Range, Land and Homesite judging contests

BROOKINGS, S.D. – South Dakota youth once again placed well at the National Range Judging and National Land and Homesite Judging contests held May 1 in El Reno, Oklahoma.

Two 4-H and five FFA teams from South Dakota participated in the National Range Judging Contest. The contest is split into two categories: 4-H and FFA. Teams from each state had to win their respective regions to qualify for the national contest.

The Wessington Springs School 4-H range judging team placed second out of seven teams, earning the highest team placing for South Dakota. Team members included Landen Christensen, Hayes Christensen, Ridge Roduner and Robert Hine with Brady Duxbury as coach and Tyler Swan as mentor. Individually, Hayes Christensen placed fifth, Landen Christensen placed sixth, Robert Hine placed ninth, and Ridge Roduner placed 10th out of 25 national competitors.

Other range judging placings include:
• West Central Ag 4-H range judging team: Sixth out of seven teams. Team members included Nate Struck, Noah Ericson, Hailey Goebel and Grace Rick. They were coached by Linda Petersen.
• Webster FFA range judging team: 12th out of 27 teams. Team members included Caleb Gaikowski, Lola Wells, Mackenzie Atherton and Bryn Sippel. They were coached by Fred Zenk as coach.
• Wessington Springs FFA range judging team: 13th out of 27 teams. Team members included Bailey Yost, Holden Jackson, Peyton Walz and Mercedes Jones. They were coached by Brady Duxbury.
• Sunshine Bible Academy FFA range judging team: 14th out of 27 teams. Team members included Tanner Fox, Daraby Boersma, Dakota Boersma and Jimmy Burma. They were coached by Jason Burma.
• West Central FFA range judging team: 16th out of 27 teams. Team members included Blake Tuschen, Sam Handberg, Stella Siemonsma and Kenasyn Johnson. They were coached by Linda Petersen.
• Kadoka FFA Range judging team: 17th out of 27 teams. Team members included Dalton Grimes, Zachary Varner, Makaylan Bonenberger and Isabella Williams. They were coached by Kaycee Jones.

Tyler Swan, a soil conservationist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service; Sandy Smart, SDSU Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Senior Program Leader and professor; and Kaylee Wheeler, SDSU Extension Range Field Specialist, assisted in helping the high school agriculture teachers and their students practice for the contest.

Students need to be able to identify 130 plants (39 grasses, 19 legumes, 41 forbs and 31 trees/woody plants). They also need to learn/memorize each plant’s characteristics (life history, season of growth, origin, desirability for bobwhite quail food, cover and cattle food). Smart said the majority of the plants are not found in South Dakota, which puts South Dakota students at a distinct disadvantage. Through hard work, they still score top marks at the event.

“Let me tell you, it is a lot of work. I have attended the trip the last seven times and I am finally learning how to tell these plants apart,” Smart said.

For the National Land and Homesite Judging Contest, two 4-H and five FFA teams from South Dakota participated in both the land and homesite competitions. The contest is split into four categories: 4-H Land, FFA Land, 4-H Homesite and FFA Homesite. Teams from each state had to win their respective regions to qualify for the national contest.

Wessington Springs FFA land judging team earned the highest team placing, coming in ninth out of 93 teams. Team members included Kohen Mebius, Addyson Orth, Luke Larson, Logan Klein. Brady Duxbury acted as coach and Lance Howe as a mentor. Individually, Kohen Mebius placed 17th out of 363 national competitors.

South Dakota White 4-H earned the highest placing in the homesite judging contest, coming in second out of 15 teams. Team members included Carson Sanders, Tucker Peterson, Luke Horstman and Chase Jones. They were coached by Tanner Peterson. Individually, Luke Horstman placed first and Carson Sanders placed fourth out of 58 national competitors.

Other land and homesite judging placings include:
• Kingsbury County 4-H land judging team: 10th out of 20 teams. Team members included Breyten Johnson, Tanner Tolzin, Chase Temme and Gavin Temme. They were coached by Dave Vanderwal.
• Corson County 4-H land judging team: 13th out of 20 teams. Team members included Brooks Foss, Emma O’Donnell, Emma Barnes and Katelyn Gebhart. They were coached by Renae Gebhart.
• Hitchcock-Tulare FFA land judging team: 17th out of 93 teams. Team members included Devin Enander, Patrick Maynard, Derek Johnson and Max Gilbert. They were coached by Shane Gross.
• Harrisburg FFA land judging team: 28th out of 93 teams. Team members included Izzy Smithback, Liz Kockelman, Cooper Hodge (alternate), Cooper Rilling and Trenton Te Slaa. They were coached by Josh Christiansen.
• De Smet FFA land judging team: 46th out of 93 teams. Team members included Gabriel Aughenbaugh, Coy Van Regenmorter, Owen Anderson and Logan Nielsen. They were coached by Dave Vanderwal.
• Kadoka FFA land judging team: 56th out 93 teams. Team members included Ayden Amiotte, Karson Eisenbraun, Tance VanderMay and Jyrzee Coller. They were coached by Kaycee Jones.
• South Dakota Misfits 4-H homesite judging team from Salem: Fourth out of 15 teams. Team members included Will Oyen, Logan Raap, Kendall McAreavey and Molly Harty. They were coached by Terry Rieckman. Kendall McAreavey placed second individually and Will Oyen placed fourth out of 58 national competitors.
• McCook Central FFA homesite team: 10th out of 65 teams. Team members included Gavin Kipp, Ella DeKnikker, Brooke Heumiller and Nolan Mutziger. They were coached by Terry Rieckman.
• Tri-Valley FFA homesite judging team: 13th out of 65 teams. Team members included Owen Bunde, Tristen Bunde, Zach Hofer and Ryken Hieronimus. They were coached by Tanner Petersen.
• Willow Lake FFA homesite judging team: 17th out of 65 teams. Team members included Masyn Knock, Hadley Gjerde, Cadence Bochek and Seth Poppen. They were coached by Dan Tonak.
• Philip FFA homesite judging team: 41st out of 65 teams. Team members included Daniel Jordan, Wade Piroutek, Lukas VanderMay and Ashley Schriever. They were coached by Reed Johnson.
• Northwestern Area FFA homesite judging team from Mellette: 52nd out of 65 teams. Team members included Ashley Haven, Alyssa Brick, Chesnie Heim (alternate), Brecken Halvorson and Austin Nash. They were coached by Noelle Swanson.

The land contest involves identifying four sites on various soil parameters, including slope, soil texture, soil structure, land capability class and recommended land treatments. Homesite evaluation includes additional concepts like permeability, soil depth, shrink-swell, depth of water table and flooding. Lance Howe, a soil scientist with NRCS, assisted in helping the high school agriculture teachers/FFA advisers and their students practice for the contest.

South Dakota teams typically arrive in El Reno on Saturday and practice Sunday through Wednesday, with the contest held on Thursday morning. When not studying, the students get to tour area sites, museums and enjoy local ice cream.

– South Dakota State University Extension