Animal science students show off at competition

Four Auburn University students recently competed in the Animal Sciences Academic Quadrathlon and walked away winners.

In early February, Reba Hicks, Courteney McNamee, Casey Randle and Brandon Smith participated in the annual competition, which included a written exam, lab practicum, oral presentation and a quiz bowl.

Eight universities in the Southeast competed, and Auburn finished first in the lab practicum and oral presentation sections. Overall, the team finished second, three points behind Texas A&M University.

"We are very proud to be the winners of the practicum portion, because that section ranges from simple to extremely advanced livestock handling techniques," said McNamee, senior in equine science.

"We really worked well as a team," said Smith, senior in animal sciences and agronomy and soils who served as this year's team captain.

He said the team was organized by incorporating students from as many different animal science disciplines as possible.

Agriholics Anonymous, as the group calls itself, had its first win at the local competition within Auburn's animal sciences department, then advanced to the regional competition, which was held in Birmingham.

"We are very excited and thankful to be able to share our experience with everyone," said Randle, senior in animal sciences.

The team members were acquainted before competing.

"Reba and I grew up in the same town and went to school together, and Casey and I are both employed at the College of Veterinary Medicine," Smith said. "Though I didn't know Courteney prior to the competition, she and Casey were very good friends and formerly worked together at the AU Horse Center."

The team credits its success to many hours studying, individual expertise, team camaraderie and faculty involvement.

"The background that we all shared lent itself to us working quite well as one cohesive unit," Smith said.

Lisa Kriese-Anderson, professor of animal sciences, worked with the team and traveled to Birmingham for the competition. Kriese-Anderson also serves as Auburn's representative for the committee that organizes the regional competition.

"My role is to encourage them to understand their strengths and weaknesses and then go ask faculty, staff and graduate students for help in overcoming their weaknesses to make them a stronger, more competitive team," Kriese-Anderson said.

The team began preparing for the regional contest in October after being announced the local winner.

"Professors were not allowed to coach us for competition, but any faculty member in the department could answer any questions we had," Smith said. "Emails were sent among our team members from that weekend in October all the way through the week of the competition."

Because Auburn has not recently placed in the regional competition, the team's achievement was significant to the department.

"I knew they had placed first in the practicum portion because I was in charge of that portion this year," Kriese-Anderson said. "The hardest part was not to tell them because they were having some self-doubt that night in the hotel. I kept telling them, 'I can't tell you how you did, but you did fine.'"

The team's doubts were dispelled when Auburn was awared the second highest score overall.

"The most rewarding experience of this whole event was seeing the pride in Dr. Kriese-Anderson's face when we were announced the second-place team," Smith said. "This finish meant a lot to the whole department.

"Around these regional circles, when you hear 'animal sciences' most people's minds automatically go to Texas A&M. We took strides in punching a hole in that theory and putting Auburn among the elite in the field."

Kriese-Anderson said the team represented Auburn well.

"They did really well in the competition and represented Auburn with the class we have come to expect being a part of the Auburn family," Kriese-Anderson said. "This is a marvelous group of seniors. It makes you feel like our future is in exceptional hands."