LLCC Ag Club students record best-ever finish at National competition

SPRINGFIELD — Sixteen students from Lincoln Land Community College’s Agriculture Club recently competed at the 2025 National Professional Agriculture Student Conference (PAS) held in Sheridan, Wyo., March 17-20, with two teams placing first. The students earned the right to compete by winning or being the runner-up in the Illinois PAS contests held earlier this year.
 
The Swine Specialist Team of Jordan Shields, of Winfield, Mo.; Bailey Shields, of Winfield, Mo.; and Taylor Armstrong, of Huntsville, placed first, second and third individually and easily won the team event. This is the first time an LLCC team has won this event.
 
The college had two Soil Specialist Teams competing. Clay Aylesworth, of Mt. Pulaski, was the high individual, Kinsey Mennen, of Logansport, Ind., received fourth place and Sawyer Smith, of Auburn, placed seventh overall. They also won first place as a team. The second team placed third overall, led by Avery Pope, of Harvel, who received third place, Leah Sargeant, of Macomb, received eighth and Maggie White, of Murrayville, received twelfth place. This is the sixth time that LLCC has won the national soils contest.
The Sheep and Goat Specialist Team of Kelsey Snyder, of Shelby, Ohio; Ava Shroyer, of Degraff, Ohio; and Karly Reel, of Mendota, placed fourth in their event.
 
The Crop Specialist Team of Sydney Carey, of Beardstown; Michael Matesa, of Staunton; and Malena Kirgan, of New Holland, placed sixth overall.
 
In individual competitions, Taylor Armstrong brought home first place in the Crop Production Employment Interview division, while Michael Matesa placed sixth in the Ag Education category. Maggie Bland, of Eldred, placed ninth in Prepared Public Speaking. The College Bowl team, made up of Carey, Aylesworth, Kirgan, Maggie White, of Murrayville; and Mennen finished the tournament with a 1-2 record after competing against university teams from BYU and Idaho.
 
PAS is a national organization for college students to develop leadership and career preparation skills in their chosen agriculture area of interest. Contests consist of a written exam, identification exercises and problem-solving case studies based on current issues in agriculture.
 
The LLCC Ag Club provides service, recreational, and career development opportunities to its membership, to enhance their educational experiences at the college. The club is advised by Liz Conrady, Liz Stamberger and Bill Harmon. It is supported by the Kreher Perpetual Agriculture Trust.