UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Continuing a strong tradition, the Penn State Beef Quiz Bowl team placed first at the 2007 Cattle Industry Annual Convention and Trade Show in Nashville, Tenn., in early February.

This championship team maintains a tradition of Penn State dominance at the quiz bowl contest since it began in 1993. Since then, a Penn State team has won eight years, and placed second four years.

Members of the Penn State team are Ben Cloninger of Centre Hall, Kyle Grim of East Berlin, Debbie McAlister of Centre Hall and Doug Sattazahn of Womelsdorf. All are animal sciences majors with a beef or dairy focus.

“These students have brought great honor to Penn State and I offer them congratulations on this outstanding accomplishment,” says Terry Etherton, head of the Department of Dairy and Animal Science. “The dominance they have shown over the years is especially impressive and is a positive reflection on the quality of our program.”

To be eligible for the national event, teams must first win in one of four regions around the country. In the northeast region this year, more than 300 students participated in the double-elimination competition.

The contest requires knowledge of all facets of the beef industry. While attending the convention, students attend a “cattlemen's college,” which includes classes in beef production, and learn about the outlook for the beef industry.

As part of the convention, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association hosts the largest beef-focused trade show in the country where students can interact with industry representatives.

“Attending the expo is a great opportunity to network with industry leaders and to be exposed to all facets of the industry,” says advisor Daniel Kniffen, assistant professor of dairy and animal science. “Many students are able to secure internships through their networking at the trade show.”

Other collegiate teams that represented their regions included Texas A & M University, Michigan State University and Utah State University.

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EDITORS: Contact Dan Kniffen at (814) 865-7809 or by e-mail at dmk28@psu.edu.

Writer/Editor Jeff Mulhollem Phone: 814-863-2719 E-mail: jjm29@psu.edu