Ridgewater Agriculture, Veterinary Technology Students Excel at State, National Contests
April 16, 2025
WILLMAR and HUTCHINSON, MN – Seven Ridgewater Agriculture students recently placed in the top three at the National Professional Agricultural Students (PAS) conference held March 17-20 in Sheridan, WY. Dozens of both Agriculture and Veterinary Technology students did the same at the state level.
Forty-eight Ridgewater students competed in 26 different categories with about 500 other participants at nationals. Ridgewater students placed in the top 10 in 23 categories.
“The Ridgewater Agriculture and Vet Tech departments are extremely proud of our students who competed at State and National PAS conferences this spring,” said Ridgewater PAS Advisor Kari Slinden. “These types of events bring out the best in our students, help to build knowledge and create confidence in themselves and their abilities. They have an advantage in future careers because of the networking and experiences they have gained while competing.”
Grace Woitalla of Avon earned national championship individual honors in both Employment Interview – Agronomic Service and Career Progress – Animal Systems.
Second-place honors went to Zoe Jones (Chaska) in Career Progress – Plant Systems; Kaitlyn Geiser (New York Mills) in Employment Interview – Agricultural Sales; and Ella Filk (Hutchinson) in Employment Interview – Livestock and Dairy Production.
Taking the podium with third-place finishes were Marlee Musty (Chatfield) in Agricultural Promotion and Marketing; Martha Steinhagen (Belle Plaine) in Career Planning – Animal Systems; Samantha Behne (New London) in Career Planning – Biotechnology Systems; and Ethan Farber (Cokato) in Career Progress – Power, Structural and Technical Systems.
In team competition, one Ridgewater College Bowl team took top honors, while another took third. Champion teammates included Colton Bratsch (Sacred Heart), Kaitlyn Geiser (New York Mills), Lucas Mulhern (Preston), Marlee Musty (Chatfield), and Anna Schillewaert (Monticello). Third-place team honors went to Austin Decknatel (Kimball), Henry Elsenpeter (Maple Lake), Angela Mahoney (Savage), Logan Vrieze (Racine), and Wyatt Wilson (Calhan, CO). The
Agronomy Specialist team taking third at nationals included Wilson, Ryan Hoffmann (Lafayette), and Evan Oltmans (Windom).
Other top 10 national finishers included:
Individuals:
4 Cora Watson (Renville), and 7 Isaac Olson (Trimont), Career Planning – Plant Systems
4 Leczi Fleischhacker (Albany), Equine
4 Jeffery Snyder (Spring Valley) Employment Interview – Agriculture Equipment and Machinery
5 Geiser, Career Planning – Agribusiness Systems
6 Nathan Saulsbury (Kensington), Career Planning – Animal Systems
6 Musty, Career Planning – Agricultural Education Systems
6 Jones, Employment Interview – Agronomic Production
6 Annabelle Pronschinske (Altura), Employment Interview – Livestock and Dairy Production
7 Saulsbury, Speakers for Ag – Impromptu
7 Vrieze, Agriculture Sales
7 Cody Brott (St. Cloud), Career Progress – Animal Systems
8 Seanna Swenson (Slayton), Employment Interview – Agribusiness Administration
8 Marizza Lenz (Royalton), Animal Health
8 Cody Opdahl (Beltrami), and 9 Jonathon Job (Freeport), Employment Interview – Agriculture Equipment and Machinery
Teams:
4 Swine Specialist: Geiser, Vrieze and Logan Metzger (Hancock)
4 Soil Science Specialist: Sam Thompson (Danvers), Colten Schroeder (Lowry) and Decknatel; 5, Woitalla, Jones and Musty
6 Agronomy: Schillewaert, Mulhern and Bratsch
6 Ag Machinery Service Technician: Farber and Connor Danielson (Atwater); 9, Dylan Wigern (Hutchinson) and Snyder
6 Sheep and Goat: Alexix Lindblom (Maynard), Mahoney and Emma Ascheman (Benson)
8 Dairy Specialist: Trevor Blonigen (Freeport), Saulsbury and Behne; 9, Katelynn Mehlhop (Minnehaha), Filk and Steinhagen
Another highlight at Nationals was that Slinden was selected as National PAS Outstanding Advisor. “I am very proud to have been selected, but am even more proud of our students,” Slinden said.
Last year’s MN PAS President was Ridgewater’s Kristina Erickson (Elk River), from the Veterinary Technology program. This year, she was elected National PAS President, while Lauren Huchel-Vogel (Brooten) was elected as a National PAS Vice President.
Minnesota PAS Awards
Shortly before nationals, dozens of Ridgewater students also competed in the Minnesota PAS competition in Marshall.
Five Ridgewater students were elected as state officers: President: Nathan Saulsbury; Vice Presidents: Austin Decknatel, McKenzie Wertish (Sauk Centre) and Isaac Olson; and Secretary: Angie Mahoney (Savage). Four are Ag students and Wertish is a Veterinary Technology student.
Individual Awards:
Ag Mechanics: 1 Snyder, 2 Job, 3 Wigern
Ag Promotion and Marketing: 1 Musty, 2 Charity Rudnick (Benson)
Ag Sales: 1 Vrieze, 2 Schroeder, 3 Kyran Neuman (Wood Lake)
Agronomy Specialist: 1 Schillewaert, 3 Hoffman
Animal Health: 1 Hailey Klimek (Alexandria), 2 Haley Rup (Mankato) and 3 Lenz
Career Planning
– Animal Systems: 1 Navaeh Rahm (Fairmont), 2 Steinhagen, 3 Saulsbury
– Biotechnology Systems: 1 Behne
– Natural Resources: 1 Isabelle Sauceda (Willmar)
– Plant Systems: 1 Watson and 2 I. Olson
– Ag Business: 2 Shelby Hopp (Litchfield)
Career Progress
– Ag Education Systems: 1 Musty
– Environment Service Systems: 1 Oliver Randall (Sauk Rapids)
– Plant Systems: 1 Jones
– Power, Structure: 1 Farber
– Ag Business: 3 Geiser
– Animal Systems: 3 Woitalla
Dairy Specialist: 1 Roerick, 2 Elsenpeter, 3 Brott
Employment Interviews
– Ag Equipment: 1 Snyder, 2 Opdahl, 3 Gabriel Blaschko (Willmar)
– Ag Sales: 1 Geiser
– Ag Business Administration: 1 Swanson, 2 Rudnick
– Agronomic Services: 1 Woitalla, 2 Jones
– Livestock/Dairy: 1 Pronschinske, 2 Filk
Equine Specialist: 1 Fleishhacker, 2 Lexi Karnes (Howard Lake)
Farm Business Management: 1 Elsenpeter, 3 Paumen
Floriculture and Greenhouse: 1 Randall, 2 Cimbura
Impromptu Speaking: 1 Saulsbury, 2 Jones
Livestock-Beef: 1 Talsma, 2 Katelynn Mehlhop (Paynesville), 3 Erickson
Livestock- Sheep and Goat: 2 Lindblom
Livestock- Swine: 1 Geiser, 2 Koehl, 3 Metzger
Precision Ag: 1 Brudelie
Prepared Speaker: 1 Jones
Soil Specialist: 1, Woitalla, 2 Thompson, 3 Schillewaert
Turfgrass Management: 1 Jones, 2 Rudnick
Team Awards:
Ag Machinery Service Technician: 1 Snyder and Wigern; 2 Job and Opdahl; 3 Danielson and Farber
Agronomy: 1 Hoffman, Oltmans and Wilson 2 Bratch, Mulhern, and Schillewaert;
College Bowl: 1 Decknatel, Elsenpeter, Mahoney, Vrieze, Wilson; 2 Bratsch, Geiser, Mulhern, Musty, Schillewaert; 3 Brott, Colby Brudelie (Lewisville), Danielson, Farber and Wigern
Dairy: 1 Brott, Cody Post (Lake Wilson) and Carter Roerick (Upsala); 2 Trevor Blonigen (Freeport), Vince Lee (Litchfield), Saulsbury; 3 Elsenpeter, John Schleper (Paynesville) and Peter Skiba (North Branch)
Equine Specialist: 1 Fleishhacker and Lenz; 2 Karnes, Hailea Frommelt (Delano) and Bria Lundquist (Wheaton)
Farm Business Management: 1 Jared Koehl (Hancock), JP Paumen (Plato) and Jaden Van Hill (Edgerton), 3 Henry Elsenpeter
Floriculture and Greenhouse: 1 Randall and Cimbura
Livestock-Beef: 1 Jordan Horst (Monticello), Bennett Talsma (Chandler), and Blake Winkels (Avon); 2 Braden Erickson (Willmar), Leighton Hackett (Sauk Rapids) and Cowan Mortenson (Morris); 3 Gaven Cimbura (Osakis), Mitchell Olson (Fairfax) and I. Olson
Livestock- Sheep and Goat: Ascheman, Alexis Lindblom (Maynard) and Mahoney
Livestock – Swine: 1 Geiser, Metzger and Oltmans, 2 Koehl, Bailey Muehlbauer (Becker), Rudnick
Soil Specialist: 1 Musty, Woitalla and Randall; 2 Decknatel, Schroeder and Thompson; 3 Bratsch, Mulhern and Schillewaert
Turfgrass Management: 1 Jones and 2 Rudnick