Area 2 Range Judging Held in Thedford
- KVSH
- Sep 15
- 2 min read
Over 200 students and adults from 11 Nebraska schools gathered near
Thedford on September 10 for the 2025 Area 2 Range Judging Contest, hosted by the
Nebraska Society for Range Management, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation
Service, and Nebraska Extension.
Participants competed in three divisions—Junior, Senior, and Adult—demonstrating
their knowledge of rangeland ecology, plant identification, and land management
practices. The contest is designed to promote understanding of Nebraska’s rangelands
and encourage stewardship among youth and adults alike.
Schools represented in the contest included Cody-Kilgore, Kearney, Keya Paha County,
Loup County, McPherson County, Mullen, Nebraska Ag Academy, Sandhills, Sargent,
Thedford, and Valentine.
Top Individual Honors:
* Junior Division: Annalena Nelson, Valentine, took first place with a score of
450.
* Senior Division: Henry Sortum, Loup County, earned top honors with a score of
479.
* Adult Division: Mike Kozeal, Sargent, led the field with a score of 548.
Team Results:
* Junior Division: Valentine claimed first place with a team score of 1726.
* Senior Division: Sargent High School earned first place with a team score of
1767.
Awards for the Area 2 contest will be presented at the upcoming State Range Judging
Contest, September 24, near Springview.
“This contest is a great opportunity for students to connect classroom learning with
real-world applications,” said T.L. Meyer, Nebraska Extension Livestock Systems
Educator.
For more information about range judging or future contests, visit with local
USDA-NRCS or Nebraska Extension professionals or go to
