The Tyrone Area FFA livestock judging team and several AgriScience Fair competitors will represent Pennsylvania at the 98th National FFA Convention and Expo, Oct. 29–Nov. 1, in Indianapolis.
The students earned their spots at nationals by winning the state Agriscience Fair in April and the Livestock Evaluation contest in June.
The competing livestock evaluation team includes Janice Gilliland, Frances Weaver, Alyssa Houck, and Taylor Wrye. Recent graduate Sarah Zimmerman helped the team qualify at the state level but will not attend the national event because of college coursework; Taylor Wrye moved into the competitive lineup in her place.
Livestock evaluation is a rigorous team event in which four students judge 10–12 classes of market and breeding animals. For each class, competitors rank animals from first to fourth and deliver a set of “reasons” to explain and defend their placements. Judges evaluate students’ knowledge of animal conformation, structural soundness, and functional traits.
The Tyrone team has practiced together weekly since 2024, and many members have spent additional hours outside scheduled sessions refining their evaluation and presentation skills.
The National FFA Agriscience Fair requires students in grades 7–12 to conduct scientific research related to agricultural industries and win their state’s Agriscience Fair to qualify for nationals. First-place state winners advance to a national pre-qualifying judging process; finalists were chosen based on applications and written reports submitted in July 2025 and were reviewed by a panel of experts. The national competition also includes a live presentation and an interview with a new panel of judges.
Tyrone students earning top-ten national placements in their categories are Paige Hoy, Frances Weaver, and Aubrey Biter; each will appear on the main stage for final rankings and participate in Agriscience poster sessions. Paige Hoy and Frances Weaver were also invited to join student panel discussions during the convention on Wednesday.
Cassidy Fleck and Nora Hoy placed in the top 15 nationally in their Agriscience categories. They will represent the chapter as it is recognized at the event as a 3-Star National program.
At the national convention, the Tyrone team and individual competitors will join dozens of other state champions to vie for top honors and gain experience that could support future careers in agriculture and animal science.
Keep up with the latest news on their trip to the National FFA Convention by visiting the Tyrone Area FFA Facebook page.
