Contest Teams Please Note: The complete results including first place winners will be available after the conclusion of the Awards Banquet on landjudging.com and rangejudging.com. Fill in the blanks below with the information found there, or access the completed news release.

News Release

National Land & Range Judging Contest

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Sponsored by the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts in cooperation with the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, Conservation Districts, State Conservation Associations and Agriculture Groups across the nation

May 6, 2004 For Immediate Release

National Land Judging Contestants Return Home

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — The ___________________________________________(chapter or club) from __________________________________________ has returned home after participating in the 53rd annual National Land and Range Judging Contest in Oklahoma City. The group competed in the nation's top land judging event at a site near Oklahoma City.

Members of the ___________________________________________ (chapter or club) tested their individual and team skills against other land judging teams from approximately 35 states across the nation by evaluating land characteristics like topsoil, subsoil slope and plant life. They were also required to recommend treatment to improve the land's adaptability for certain purposes like producing crops, raising cattle or building homes.

Contest cochairman Royce Casey, president of the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts, presented the Land Judging and Homesite Evaluation awards. Dr. Merwyn M. Kothman, national president of the Society for range Management joined Casey for presentation of the Range Judging awards.

In Land Judging, FFA competition, the Madison Central, Richmond, Ky., chapter won in the team category and the first place individual winner was Keenan Wiley from Richmond, Ky. In the 4-H competition the Barbour County, Philippi, W.V., chapter, was the winning team, and Bridgett Piotter from Denver, Ind., was the individual winner. The adult category winner was Bruce Hunnicutt.

In the Range Judging Contest, the Gans, Okla., chapter won the FFA team competition, and Cameron Kirkland from Cleburne, Texas, took the first place individual FFA award. The Kendall County, Texas, chapter, won the 4-H team category, and Grant Giles from Boerne, Texas, placed first in the individual category. Terry Baize from Hamilton, Texas, won in the adult category.

In Homesite Evaluation, the Columbia City, Ind., chapter won the FFA team competition, and Gia Drew from Columbia City, Ind., took the first place individual FFA award. The Barbour County, W.V., chapter won the 4-H team category, and Lyndsae Reckner from Palmetto, Fl., placed first in the individual category. Glen Jones from Denver, Ind., won the adult competition.

Raymond Cockrum received the 2004 National Land and Range Judging Contest Honoree Award. Cockrum has worked behind the scenes at the contest for many years, helping to tabulate the scores on contest day before the results are rushed to the Land and Range Judging Contest awards banquet. Cockrum served on the state advisory staff of the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education as central district supervisor and as state FFA Alumni Advisor until he retired in 1996.

Following the presentation of the honoree award, contest cochairman Russell Pierson urged teens and adults alike to commit themselves to a better environment for future generations. "I ask you to apply these land and range judging skills in ways that will help ensure this country remains "America the Beautiful," said Pierson.

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