FFA wrangles winner

Post date: Feb 18, 2015 3:23:3 AM

PIERRE, SD -- On Dec. 8, Sturgis Brown High School FFA students traveled to State FFA Competition, returning with a win for the program. Freshman Bridger Gordon, (far left), won 1st place and is now the 2014 State Champion FFA Creed Speaker for the leadership Career Development Events (CDEs). He advances to national competition in Louisville, KY, in October 2015. The last time Sturgis FFA won a state level Career Development Event was 1992. Bridger's parents are Bruce and Kindra Gordon. His FFA advisor is Brett Monson.

The following teams and individuals who qualified to go to the Fall State CDE's included Sarah Freeman, McKenna Gruba, Magan Vaughn (placed 7th at State) for Ag Communications; Winston Brown, Jeremiah Palmer, Ty Forrester, Callie Green (placed 11th at State) for Ag Marketing Plan; Molli Hayes, Shon Williamson, Eden Lambert, Victor Jorae, Jessiah Jones, Skyler Swedlund, Chelsea Harrison (placed) for Ag Issues; Bridger Gordon, Ryan Wilen, Brian Duran, Lucas Dimitt, Tristan Permann, Abby Anderson, Tom Shaw (placed 6th at state) for Jr. Parliamentary Procedure; Mason Anderson, Shon Williamson, Todd Wilen, Kassidy Kitzmiller, Leah Todd, Connor Caneva, Destiny Wesner (placed 14th at state) for Sr. Parliamentary Procedure; Kaycee Szymanski (placed 17th at state) for Prepared Public Speaking; Tanner Granum (placed 15th at state) for Extemporaneous Public Speaking; Janie Fritz (placed 11th at state) for Job Interview; and Bridger Gordon (placed 1st and state and qualified for nationals) for Creed Speaking

Adviser Brett Monson said, “Last year, we had eight people qualify. This year we had 30. We were the 2nd largest delegation of state qualifiers behind McCook Central.”

According to Monson the “top eight individuals place and top five teams place. The only placer we had was Bridger Gordon who won 1st for the FFA Creed Speaking CDE.”

“The last team CDE Sturgis won was in 1992, and the last individual CDE Sturgis has won was 1983,” Monson said.

In order to attend the state convention, “Individual CDE must place 1st, 2nd, or 3rd at the District level in Lemmon. Team CDEs must place 1st or 2nd,” Monson said.

Individuals seeking to advance speaking and competition skills are afforded the opportunity to do so within the FFA program.

“We use these competitions to make the learning funner and more engaging,” Monson said. “We as a chapter have set a minimum amount of practice they must meet in order for them to be able to go to district. Some of the teams met daily after school. We are fortunate to have community volunteers to help prepare students for these events.”

Anyone interested in participating in the program should contact Adviser Brett Monson at SBHS.