Susanville’s future agricultural leaders returned home this weekend following a whirlwind three-day journey that saw them clinching titles, earning regional offices and securing spots at the upcoming State Finals.
The series of competitions began on Thursday at Chico High School for the Regional FFA Meeting, where Aurea Webb and Julia Bruce officially wrapped up their year of service as Superior Region officers.
After navigating a comprehensive application, video submission, interviews and the high pressure of impromptu on-stage questioning, Samantha Medvin was elected to serve as the Superior Region Intermountain Section Vice President.
The intensity shifted to the Regional Leadership Development Event Finals, where the stakes were high: only the top four competitors in each category earn a ticket to the State Finals in Fresno next month. Susanville’s speakers rose to the occasion, led by Tyler Swayze, who took home 1st High Individual honors in Extemporaneous Speaking. He will be joined at State by Samantha Bailey, who secured her spot with a 4th High Individual finish in Creed Speaking.
The chapter’s depth was on full display throughout the speaking events. John Ammon and Kenni Howe both earned 6th High Individual rankings in Impromptu and Extemporaneous Speaking respectively, while Aurea Webb followed closely in 5th for Extemporaneous. Strong performances were also turned in by Giselle Lewis, Russell Mallery, Arwen Adams and Julia Bruce.
The “Parli Pro” teams were the undisputed stars of the leadership events. The Advanced Parliamentary Procedure team claimed the 1st High Team title, with individual honors going to Julia Bruce as High Chairman, Aurea Webb as High Chair 2, Abbie Hemphill as High Chair 4, and Tyler Swayze as High Chair 5. The Novice Parliamentary Procedure team also excelled, finishing as the 2nd High Team in the region.
The momentum continued Saturday as the group traveled to the Modesto Junior College Field Day to test their hands-on technical skills against schools from across California. The Veterinary Science team proved they are the ones to beat, finishing as the 1st High Team behind the 3rd place individual performance of Julia Bruce and 5th place finish of Abbie Hemphill.
Susanville also struck gold in Vegetable Crop Judging, where they secured 1st High Team honors led by Arwen Adams, who was named the 1st High Individual in the contest.
In the shop and the fields, the success remained steady. The Agricultural Mechanics team placed 4th overall, bolstered by Quentin Maumoynier’s impressive 2nd High Individual finish. The chapter’s youngest members also made their mark, with the Best Informed Greenhand team taking 3rd High Team and Wyatt Bruce placing 2nd as an individual. Rounding out the weekend, the Livestock Judging team fought through a competitive field to finish 5th High Team.
FFA Advisor Elizabeth Ammon noted that the results are a direct reflection of the dedication, preparation and leadership these students demonstrate daily.
