Members of Marion/Florence FFA chapter placed fourth Feb. 4 in the A-team division at the South Central District FFA entomology contest at Marion High School.

MHS also had the second-place team in the freshman division, and the first-place team in the B-team division.

Samantha Stika placed ninth individually for Marion in the A-team division.

In the freshman division Taylor Harms placed third, Jessie Taylor fifth, Jonathon Vogel sixth, and Saraya Joy seventh.

Contestants were required to take a comprehensive written test about insect control, habitat, growth cycles, characteristics, and affects on humans and agriculture.

They also had to identify 50 samples of common insects in Kansas.

Other team members from Marion included Colten Johnson, Josh Hiebert, Jared Vondenkamp, Dakin Ledford, Ariel Depler, Korey Linder, Kathy Goering, and Christine Hett.

Marion FFA hosts Poultry Career Development event

The Chapter also played host Feb. 4 to the South Central District FFA Poultry Career Development event.

More than 150 students on 12 teams from the South Central District competed in the contest.

The event was officiated and coordinated by Dr. Scott Beyer, professor of poultry science at Kansas State University.

Participants in the event were required to evaluate two classes of chickens, check for exterior defects in eggs, use a candling light to examine the interior of eggs for defects, identify various cuts of chicken, place a carcass class, grade a class of eggs, take a written test, and complete team problem solving activity.

FFA members from Marion served as group leaders, helped set up and take down the contest, and supervised the entomology career development event on the same day.