GCCC Meat Judging Team Selected as 2022 Western Motor Beef Empire Days Parade Marshall
[Garden City, KS] June 8, 2022 -- The Garden City Community College Meat Judging Team has been selected as the Parade
Marshall for the 2022 Western Motor Beef Empire Days Parade. The team will lead the
annual parade on Saturday, June 11, 2022, at 10 AM in Garden City. The GCCC Meats
Team is also celebrating the 35th year of the program! 
The GCCC Meat Judging Team was founded in 1987 as the Animal Science Program transitioned from having a livestock judging team to a meat judging team due to the local proximity to several commercial beef processing facilities. Overall, meat judging was started as a way for students to utilize industry concepts and equations to compete with other Colleges and universities with an animal science curriculum. Many industry leaders look for the career traits that meat judging team members have, including decision making, note-taking, communication, and time management skills. Team members are awarded a scholarship for two years.
Since the team's creation, over 300 students have participated in contests and the team has won 6 National Championships (2003, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2020), 6 Reserve National Championships (2001, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2018, and 2019), the Australian Championship (2014) and 33 total members have earned All-American status from the American Meat Science Association.
During the 35 years of the program, there have only been 2 head coaches: Gale Seibert (1987-2000) and Dr. Clint Alexander (2000-present) with several assistant coaches during Dr. Alexander's tenure. Team members have come to GCCC from the following states: Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Florida, California, Texas, Missouri, and Montana as well as from Germany and Venezuela. During each calendar year, the team participates in the following contests: Southwest Invitational, National Western, Southwestern, South Plains, Houston Livestock Show, Hormel National Barrow Contest, Beef Empire Days, American Royal, High Plains, and NACTA.
For more information on the GCCC Meat Judging Team, contact Dr. Clint Alexander at clint.alexander@gcccks.edu.
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Garden City Community College exists to produce positive contributors to the economic and social well-being of society.