Texas Tech Meat Judging Team Dubbed World Champions Following Weekend International Competition

A Texas Tech team has been named world champions, following a competition last weekend.

The university’s meat judging team took first place honors at the Australian Intercollegiate Meat Judging Contest in Armidale, New South Wales on Saturday.

Overall, the team ranked first in beef, pork, and lamb carcass judging, placings, grading, and questions, as well as second in retail cut identification.

All 13 members placed among the event’s top 15 contestants.

Tech won the annual contest by 433 points, beating 11 Australian and Japanese university competitors.

Team members competing in Australia included:

• Blaine Corliss
• Cody Helms
• Faith Jurek
• Mandy-Jo Laurent
• Andrea Nordman
• Craig Russell
• Zach Smith
• Cody Sultenfuss
• Kaitlyn True
• Amanda White
• Dakota Williams

Team coach and Tech San Antonio Livestock Show Distinguished Chair in Meat Science Mark Miller said that “This competition was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

Earlier this year, the team won its seventh consecutive first place award at the Houston Livestock Show’s Intercollegiate Meat Judging Contest, and also placed first at the Southwestern Livestock Show’s Meat Judging Contest in Fort Worth.