Blinn freshman livestock judging team wins reserve champion title at State Fair of Texas

Sophomore team places third among community colleges

October 9, 2026

Blinn College sophomore and freshman livestock judging teams were among the top finishers at the State Fair of Texas.

Blinn’s freshman team was reserve champion at the State Fair competition, held Monday in Dallas. It was also the champion team at the Flint Hills Mid-America Classic livestock judging contest in Hutchinson, Kan.

The sophomore team placed third overall at the State Fair, including first in reasons and sheep/goats and fifth in cattle.

At the State Fair, the Blinn freshman team was first in reasons, second in sheep/goats, and third in swine and cattle.

Ashlyn Peters was high individual, placing fourth in cattle. Wyatt Luddeke was third high individual, placing third in reasons and swine, and fifth in cattle. Augustus Sexton was fifth overall, placing first in reasons, fifth in sheep/goats, and eighth in swine. Kotton West was seventh high individual.

Darcy Luedke was first in swine, Keeley Warnken second in sheep/goats, Sawyer Parker eighth in reasons, Percy Torrez ninth in reasons, and Miles Halfmann ninth in sheep/goats.

For the sophomore team, Sarah Craun was fourth high individual overall, placing second in reasons and swine, and ninth in cattle.

Lane Steen was third in sheep/goats and fifth in reasons. In sheep/goats, Brody Youtz was second, Tatum Bales sixth, Emma Malven seventh, and Taylor Eckelberg ninth.

At Flint Hills, Blinn’s freshman team placed first in reasons and swine, and second in cattle and sheep/goats.

Luddeke was the top individual, placing first in reasons and swine. Parker placed fourth overall, including 10^th in cattle.

Other individual results were Halfmann, first in sheep/goats; Sexton, third in reasons and cattle; Torrez, fourth in reasons and sixth in swine; and Jackson Vykukal, fifth in cattle and 10^th in reasons.

At the Flint Hills competition, the sophomore team placed fourth in reasons and eighth in swine.

Eckelberg was eighth among individuals, placing third in reasons and fifth in sheep/goats.

Lane Steen was fourth in sheep/goats and Braxley Brezina was eighth in swine.

Blinn alumni were members of the Texas A&M University team that won the Senior College Division at the State Fair.

Maddox Hartmann was high overall individual, with Lane Hogan placing fourth and Grant Kubala ninth.

Texas A&M’s champion team was comprised entirely of Blinn alumni, including Hartmann, Hogan, Kubala, Maggie Brumnett, and Cash Dean.

“We’re incredibly proud of our alumni and how they go on to represent Blinn College at the university level,” said coach Adrian Austin. “We believe their success at their respective senior colleges is a true testament to the strength of the Blinn College livestock judging program and its development of young people.”

Livestock judging is part of Blinn’s Agricultural Sciences Program, which has one of the most active extracurricular programs in the state.

Blinn offers agriculture classes on all its campuses, with the W.J. “Bill” Rankin Agricultural Complex on the Brenham Campus serving as the program’s headquarters. Students can earn degrees in Associate of Science in Agriculture or Associate of Science in Agricultural Business that includes a focus on agribusiness and business. Both degrees are designed to transfer toward agricultural bachelor’s degrees.

For more information, visit www.blinn.edu/agricultural-sciences.