Poultry students shine at national contest
The University of North Georgia (UNG) finished fifth overall in the 76th annual Ted Cameron National Collegiate Poultry Judging Contest, which was held April 2-4 at Mississippi State University.
UNG also took fourth place as a team in the market products category and fifth place in the breeds portion of the event.
The USPOULTRY Foundation sponsored the competition, in which students judged a variety of live birds, identified breed defects and evaluated market products such as eggs, parts and carcasses according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture standards.
UNG's team consisted of April Cook, Grant Justus, Devin Self, and Conner Watson. Additionally, students Jacque Conner and Alyssa Foster, who previously participated, returned to help coach the team and attended the contest. Dr. Linda Purvis, associate professor of biology, coached the team.
Cook, a freshman from Toccoa, Georgia, pursuing an associate degree in agriculture-avian biology, said she wasn't surprised the team performed so well.
"I felt very well-prepared. We've been practicing since day one," Cook said. "I have almost a year of hands-on experience."
Purvis was grateful to see the payoff for her students.
"They all worked really well together as a team," Purvis said. "I was very proud of how they all put in the effort and time and worked really hard."
In addition to the competition element, students were able to connect with employers in the poultry industry at a crawfish boil on the first night in Mississippi.
"It's great to connect with people in the industry and get your name out there," Self, a freshman from Hull, Georgia, pursuing an associate degree in agriculture-poultry science, said.
Watson, a freshman from Watkinsville, Georgia, pursuing a degree in agriculture-poultry science, was happy to have one last time to compete on the national stage after taking part in poultry judging competitions since fifth grade. Students are allowed to compete at a total of two national events where their score counts toward the team total while in college.
Watson said UNG has helped him get a better idea of how his skills might fit into the poultry industry. He is thankful for the connections he has made.
"I've gotten to see so many things in the industry early in my time as a student," Watson said.
Latest News
- UNG earns highest Learfield Cup finish everUNG earned its highest finish in its NCAA Division II history in the 2024-25 Learfield Directors' Cup standings, coming in at 22nd in the nation.
- Clapp-Smith named business college deanDr. Rachel Clapp-Smith has been named the dean of UNG's Mike Cottrell College of Business, a role she will begin July 21.
- Three selected as Fulbright finalistsUNG has three Fulbright finalists for 2025-26. They include alumnae from the College of Arts & Letters, College of Science & Mathematics, and Mike Cottrell College of Business.
- Belcher aims to elevate NighthawksUNG head baseball coach Nolan Belcher won two national titles as a player at the University of South Carolina, and he coached Georgia College & State University for the past five years.
- Alumnus receives national trooper honorTrooper First Class II Julian Mapes of the Georgia State Patrol has been named the International Association of Chiefs of Police/Motorola Solutions national Trooper of the Year. Mapes is a 2018 UNG graduate.
- Backyard Bash raises $8K for scholarshipsUNG raised roughly $8,000 for student scholarships at the third annual Cumming Campus Backyard Bash held April 29.
