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Sleepy Eye FFA shines at national convention

Klein wins National Quiz Bowl, organization named 3-Star National Chapter

Submitted photo Sleepy Eye FFA member Lucia Martinez Paredes participated in the National FFA Choir, including being a soloist. She was selected from an audition tape and sang with others from across the country at national convention sessions.

SLEEPY EYE — Practice makes perfect.

Sleepy Eye High School junior Kayden Klein finished fourth in the National FFA Convention Quiz Bowl Contest at the 97th national convention Oct. 22-26 in Indianapolis.

This year, he won it, answering 16 more questions correctly than the national runner-up. There were 212 contestants in the senior quiz bowl.

“The test was very hard this year. Some questions were not in the manual. Nobody was close to Kayden,” said Sleepy Eye FFA Advisory Mary S. Hoffmann.

“I thought the test was pretty hard,” said Klein. “There were 100 questions. I studied hard a week before the convention with a lot of flash cards. I studied FFA history for the most part plus what the officer symbols mean, and the history of FFA jackets.”

Submitted photo Sleepy Eye FFA member Kayden Klein finished first among 212 individuals in the quiz bowl contest senior division at the 97th National FFA Convention in Indianapolis Oct. 22-26. The Sleepy Eye FFA Poultry Team finished 19th among 42 teams and 168 individuals at the national convention. Pictured from left, Emerson Johnson, Logan Ludewig, Ari Krzmarzick, and Zack Dominguez. Sleepy Eye FFA member Lucia Martinez Paredes participated in the National FFA Choir, including being a soloist. She was selected from an audition tape and sang with others from across the country at national convention sessions.

Anna Johnson of Sleepy Eye finished seventh with 50 questions answered correctly.

It wasn’t all work and no fun.

“We had fun tours including the Louisville Slugger Museum, an indoor rodeo at the Indiana State Fairgrounds and bison tours,” he said.

The Sleepy Eye Senior Quiz Bowl team included Kayden Klein, Mateo Hornsby, Carter Lazatin, and Noah Rossbach. They placed second in the nation out of 59 teams.

The Sleepy Eye Senior Quiz Bowl team of Daniel Armstrong, Alex Confer, Anna Johnson, and James Moore placed 125th.

Submitted photo The Sleepy Eye FFA Poultry Team finished 19th among 42 teams and 168 individuals at the national convention. Pictured from left, Emerson Johnson, Logan Ludewig, Ari Krzmarzick, and Zack Dominguez.

The Junior Quiz Bowl team of Madi Martinez, Kamille Capacia, Paola Gonzalez, and Candy Castorena placed 8th out of 28 teams. Madi Martinez was the top scorer on the team.

Students were exposed to an agricultural based career expo, heard dynamic speakers, and were inspired by energetic and motivating general sessions at the largest annual student convention in the country.

The Sleepy Eye FFA was named a Three Star National Chapter for growing leaders, building communities, and strengthening agriculture activities that the Sleepy Eye FFA Chapter highlighted in their National Chapter Award application. Three stars is the highest ranking awarded by National FFA.

The Sleepy Eye poultry team finished 19th place in the nation. Team members were Zack Dominguez, Emerson Johnson, Ari Krzmarzick, and Logan Ludewig.

The team earned this trip by placing first in the state of Minnesota in April. All members of the team received a silver ranking with Zack Dominguez being the highest scorer on the team. There were 42 teams competing in the Poultry Contest.

National competition included reciting different aspects dealing with chicken and turkey parts, judging, processed products, egg evaluation, oral reasons, and a team activity.

The Sleepy Eye FFA Chapter had six American FFA Degree Recipients — Sophie Gustafson, Morgan Hoffmann, Adam Johnson, Sophie Kyllonen, Leisha Martinez, and Gracie Sellner. This is the highest award bestowed upon a FFA member. Only 2% of all FFA members receive this award.

Lucia Martinez participated in the National FFA Chorus. She auditioned this summer and was chosen by National FFA to perform with the choir at convention sessions and do a solo part too.

Along with the FFA Convention, members were given the opportunity to attend several tours in Indiana. Tours included Broken Wagon Bison, Fair Oaks Farms (Dairy and Swine), Louisville Slugger, and Churchill Downs. The convention also featured a rodeo and hypnotist.

While at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, most of the Sleepy Eye FFA members took time to work behind the scenes at the KNUJ media booth. They assisted Jim Bartels and Larry Baumgardt in interviewing different FFA Chapters around the state of Minnesota about their convention experiences and FFA activities. Advisor, Mary Hoffmann, conducted some interviews while at the convention as well.

“We had a great convention. Everyone worked really hard and it shows from the results,” said Hoffmann.

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