National competitions like the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture are an excellent proving ground for effective teaching at the college level, and the students of Assistant Professor Reagan Cavanaugh, in her first year of teaching, showed very well.   

NACTA, founded in 1955, has members from two- and four-year colleges and highlights student achievement as a reflection of effective teaching practices. This year, the NACTA 2025 Judging Conference was hosted by West Texas A&M in Canyon, Texas.

Cavanaugh was pleased to report the official results of the ag business and ag communications teams from NACTA. “I am incredibly proud of how the students competed, especially with having an inexperienced coach. Although we did not come home with hardware, I want to recognize the student’s significant achievements in their first year competing.”

The team tied for fourth place among eight teams and 33 individuals in ag communications, barely missing third. Individually, Gracie Conrad, Burwell, placed fourth; Erik Snyder, Grant, tied for eighth; Alexes Kreikemeier, Omaha, tied for 10th; and Courtney McCarthy, Keya Paha, tied for 14th. Remarkably, these students have not taken a formal ag communications course, and their competitors were likely ag communications majors.

In ag business, students competed against 11 teams and 43 individuals. The team earned fifth place in the case study and fifth overall. Individually, Tyler Keener from Mitchell placed eighth; Owen Harb from Grand Island and Jordan Lans from Lexington tied for 22nd; and Erik Snyder, Grant, 25th.

The ag business competitors did a case study on the finances and business future of Creek House Honey Farm. After their presentation, students enjoyed a field trip to the honey farm. Other highlights of the adventure to NACTA included the Palo Canyon State Park, Cadillac Ranch, an Amarillo Sod Poodles MiLB game, and touring the AQHA headquarters.

This year’s results showcase students’ strong performance in agriculture programs nationwide, underscoring the value of engaging, high-quality instruction found at NCTA.