Thomas County Central High School FFA chapter’s Meats Evaluation Career Development Event team processed its way to state competition.

The FFA Area 5 Meats Evaluation and Technology Career Development Event occurred virtually Dec. 7. TCCHS team members Samantha Bustle, Katie Sylvan, Taylor Stegall and Ashley Brannen earned first place and the chance to compete at the state level next spring.

“These girls have amazed me,” adviser Nikki Smith said. “This year has thrown everyone a curveball. We were unable to meet in person to study as we have in the past years, and we relied heavily on independent studying and communicating through Google Classroom. Studying outside of our normal group setting required a lot of self-motivation and discipline. To see their hard work pay off is a great feeling.”

Also, junior Taylor Stegall, 16, earned special recognition as the CDE’s highest individual scorer.

“I feel very honored and proud of my achievement,” she said. “Being the highest individual placer allows me to see what subjects I am good at and encourages me to become a better individual.”

According to the Georgia FFA website, the competition develops meat industry employment skills, marketing and merchandising knowledge, analytical and critical thinking abilities, and terminology. Students identify retail meat cuts, carcass quality and yield grade, placings of carcasses or meat cuts, and take a written animal science test.

Junior Ashley Brannen, 16, participated in the team event because she felt it would benefit her.

“Being able to identify different cuts of meat and tell which ones are better than others is a good skill to have,” she said.

Stegall most enjoys learning about meat evaluation with her teammates.

“By working with different people, I form various relationships and make many memories that individuals elsewhere may not experience,” she said.

The Georgia FFA State Meats Evaluation and Technology Career Development Event should occur March 27, 2021, at the University of Georgia in Athens.

“We hope to have the state competition in person, but the date and setting may change due to COVID-19,” Smith said.

Brannen said the team’s region win and advancement to state is a positive point in a year that’s been a challenge for both teachers and students.

“Placing first in our region was a dream come true for my teammates and me,” she said. “We are going to work extremely hard to do well in Athens.”