Craig Daily Press

Craig — This year, things just turned out well, said Clint Chew, Moffat County High School senior.

Chew, a four-year Future Farmers of America member, finished in second place overall at a state wide FFA competition Monday.

Chew hadn’t set his sights on the award.

“My goal is just to try my best,” he said. “It all played out well for me.”

But, that wasn’t the end of his awards.

Chew also was a member of the FFA chapter’s Agricultural Mechanics team, one of seven content-specific groups that went to the competition held on the Colorado State University campus in Fort Collins

Team members were required to compete in a variety of activities, said John Haddan, MCHS agricultural education instructor, including welding, electrical wiring and soldering copper pipe.

That team was one of three groups from Moffat County that took top placings at the event.

Officials give awards for placing in the top 25 percent of the teams at the competition. Gold awards go to the top third of that group, with silver and bronze titles following.

The high school’s Agricultural Mechanics, Land Classification and Meats Evaluation and Technology teams took gold awards. The high school’s Livestock Evaluation team earned a silver award, and its Horse Judging team won a bronze award.

Chew attributed the achievement to teamwork.

“We all worked well together,” he said.

Chew wasn’t the sole MCHS student to bring home both individual and team awards.

Curtis Ellgen also placed second overall in Meats Evaluation and Technology, Haddan said.

Both teams also received a gold rating based on its cumulative performance throughout the event.

Ellgen, a sophomore, said he was pleased with the awards, especially since this year was his first in FFA.

“This is, by far, one of our better years,” Haddan said, adding that the team’s showing this year was topped only by one other competition in his 12-year career at the high school.

At that competition several years ago, Haddan said, four teams brought home gold ratings.

Rick Murr, another high school agricultural education instructor, said winning awards wasn’t his main priority at the event.

“It’s not necessarily all about winning,” he said. “If the kids are learning something and having a good time with it and it’s something valuable, that is a success to us as instructors,” he said.

Still, a competition is a competition, Murr said, and as a coach, he wanted his students to do well in any event they participated in.

Although some FFA members practice for the competition during out-of-class experiences, Murr said, all the skills needed at the event are taught throughout the agriculture curriculum.

“The welding, the mechanics, the wiring, the plumbing — whatever it is, they’re getting it in the class,” he said. “It really speaks to the quality of the entire program.”

And it’s in class that Haddan and Murr have noticed this year’s students stand out.

“The whole team is fun to work with,” Murr said.

Haddan agreed.

“They’re a great bunch of kids,” Haddan said.

Bridget Manley can be reached at 875-1795 or bmanley@craigdailypress.com