LARAMIE – Two University of Wyoming Livestock Judging Team members this spring recorded the highest-ever UW scores at national meets, and the team posted its first top-five national finish in 25 years.
Coach Caleb Boardman said Tyler Bauer, Fort Collins, Colo., and Zane Mackey, Torrington, posted the two scores at the Houston Livestock and Rodeo Intercollegiate Meat Judging Contest in March, and UW placed fourth at the San Antonio Livestock Exposition Intercollegiate Livestock Show in February.
 “The 2017 University of Wyoming Livestock Judging Team had a very successful spring season,” said Boardman. The team placed in the top 10 overall at each of the three national contests.
The team had multiple practice contests, judging more than 100 classes before the Denver National Western Stock Show and Rodeo in January.
 “All of the workouts and practice contests paid off after the team was awarded tenth overall at the NWSS,” he said.
In San Antonio:

• The team was third in cattle and fifth in sheep, swine and reasons.
• Mackey and Garrett Barton, Poway, Calif., finished fourth and eighth in swine respectively out of 126 contestants.
• Kassi Renner, Lovell, led the team individually with a top-25 finish.
At Houston:
• The team finished eighth in the 26-team field.
• Team tied for first in goats, sixth in sheep and swine, eighth in placings, ninth in cattle and tied for tenth in reasons.
Out of 210 contestants, Bauer was eighth overall, third in sheep, sixth in placings and 12th in reasons. Mackey placed 17th overall, fourth in placings and sixth in swine.
 “It was a record-breaking day for UW, both individually and as a team,” said Boardman.
The team set a school record for the Houston contest in the overall score and the reasons score, which also now stands as the highest reasons score on record for UW, he said.  This year’s team members recorded five of the top 10 individual scores ever recorded by UW contestants at the
Houston competition.