UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- A Team Of Four Penn State Students Fared Well At The 58th Annual U.s. Poultry And Egg Association National Poultry Judging Contest, Held Recently At Louisiana State University.

Penn State's team consisted of Michael Cressman, a junior from Telford (Montgomery County); Lara Herger, a senior from New Brighton (Beaver County); Paul Hostetter, a junior from Holtwood (Lancaster County); and Regina Lehman, a junior from Mechanicsburg (Cumberland County). All four are majoring in animal sciences. The team was co-coached by Phillip Clauer, senior extension associate in poultry science, and Dirk Wise, manager of Penn State's Poultry Education and Research Center.

The contest is an opportunity for students to demonstrate their knowledge of genetic traits that influence egg and meat production and their mastery of U.S. Department of Agriculture rules and regulations governing the grading and quality of eggs and poultry meat.

The Penn State team finished fourth in the Market Products division and in seventh place overall, only 23 points behind the fifth-place team.

In individual competition, Regina Lehman finished fourth in the Market Products division, in a tie for seventh in the Production division and eighth overall.

"Participants in this contest improve their decision-analysis skills associated with breed characteristics and poultry commodity quality," says Clauer. "These skills, and the interaction with students and industry professionals from around the country, will serve these students well as they embark on future careers in poultry or other animal-related industries."

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EDITORS: Contact Phillip Clauer by phone at 814-863-8960 or by e-mail at pclauer@psu.edu. A group photo of Penn State's team to accompany this story can be obtained by contacting Chuck Gill, news editor, by phone at 814-863-2713 or by e-mail at cdg5@psu.edu.