WT Meat Science Squad Wins National Championship

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — For a second consecutive year, the West Texas A&M University Meat Science Quiz Bowl team is the best in the nation.

The top WT squad took home first place June 22 at the 2025 American Meat Science Association Reciprocal Meats Conference in Columbus, Ohio, beating out 34 other teams.

“This team has worked incredibly hard to not only learn the vast amount of information relating to the meat science and livestock industries but also be competitive in a fast-paced and high-pressure setting,” said Ryan Heitschmidt, one of the team’s coaches and a graduate student in animal science from Nazareth. “This was a very talented and dedicated group of students, and I couldn’t be prouder of how they performed and represented WT.”

This is the third year a WT team has won the national championship since the contest began in 2002.

In the quiz bowl, teams of four compete in a double-elimination bracket. Each round features 20 head-to-head questions and 20 toss-up questions; teams that are quickest to answer correctly are awarded points.

A second WT squad also advanced to the fifth round of the competition.

Team members are Cayden Beatty, a sophomore animal science major from Bertram; Garrett La Deau, a junior agribusiness and economics major from Miami; Kade Lawrence, a junior animal science major from Canyon; Jozie Petit, a junior agricultural media and communication major from Seymour; Audrey Rangel, a May graduate in animal science from Lyford; Maddie Schickedanz, a sophomore animal science major from Perryton; Clayton Stevenson, a senior animal science major from Earth; Ryan Stricker, a senior animal science major from Magnolia; Morgan Thorn, a senior animal science major from Clovis, New Mexico; Spencer Walahoski, a senior animal science major from Overton, Nebraska; and Avel Zermeno, a sophomore animal science major from Lorenzo.

The team also is coached by Shelton Luedke, a graduate student in animal science from Hondo.

The meat science team is an example of the University’s responsiveness to the Texas Panhandle, as outlined in the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign’s new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised more than $165 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT, a Regional Research University, is redefining excellence in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

Photo: The West Texas A&M University Meat Science Quiz Bowl won its second consecutive national championship June 22 at the 2025 American Meat Science Association Reciprocal Meats Conference in Columbus, Ohio. Pictured are, from left, coach Ryan Heitschmidt, Kade Lawrence, Jozie Petit, Clayton Stevenson and Spencer Walahoski.

—WT—