Blinn Ag Club named outstanding chapter, team sweepstakes winner at state conference

Lindig, Gilfoil earn champion, reserve champion honors

April 27, 2026

The Blinn College Ag Club won the two top awards at this year’s Texas Junior College Agricultural Association (TJCAA) convention.

Blinn was named the 2026 Outstanding Chapter and the Champion Sweepstakes team at the TJCAA conference recently held at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville. Nineteen Blinn agricultural science students and four professors attended this year’s conference.

The Outstanding Chapter Award highlights a community college that has participated in the most TJCAA activities throughout the school year, including yearly events, major club-sponsored activities, and service projects.

Blinn Ag Club members competed in various categories at the conference, earning the Sweepstakes award.

Jenna Lindig and Ryleigh Gilfoil were the champion and reserve champion students, respectively.

Blinn had the reserve champion public relations team, with Carter Aucoin, Braxley Brezina, Jackie Finney, and Kayden Ralls competing.

Other placings for Blinn were:

• Prepared public speaking – First, Sarah Craun; second, Klaire Deaton.
• Job interview – First, Reagan Strickland; fourth, Emma Malven.
• Quiz competition, agronomy – First, Brody Youtz; third, Taylor Eckelberg.
• Quiz competition, animal science – First, Sarah Craun; second, Deaton; third, Tatum Bales; fourth, Lindig.
• Quiz competition, agricultural economics – First, Lindig; second, Gilfoil; third, Eckelberg; fifth, Lane Steen.
• Quiz competition, agricultural mechanics – First, Jackie Finney; third, Gilfoil; fourth, Chase Gann; fifth, Dade DeLozier.
• Quiz competition, entomology – First, Bales; third, Eckelberg.
• Quiz competition, equine – Third, Emma Malven; fourth, Craun.
• Quiz competition, horticulture – First, Bales; second, Finney; third, Lindig.
• Quiz competition, wildlife – First, Bales; second, Eckelberg; third, Colton Mullins.

The Blinn scrapbook, prepared by Eckelberg, Brezina, Finney, and Ralls, was third overall.

Adrian Austin, who serves as livestock judging coach, said there was an extra incentive for the Blinn team.

“The team was fortunate to do extremely well,” said Austin. “They worked incredibly hard for it, which may have been partially due to the incentive that if they won the outstanding chapter and the sweepstakes contest, they could dye my hair blue, along with (livestock judging coach) Quest Newberry and (Blinn Agricultural Sciences Program Professor) Doug Pierce.”

Blinn’s Agricultural Sciences Program is approximately four times the size of any other two-year agricultural program in the state and is based at the Rankin Agricultural Complex. For more information, visit www.blinn.edu/agricultural-sciences.