Cowley College Hosts Agricultural Mechanics Contest at Sumner Campus

(Zaden Cox, Emmett Lawless, Ryder Slack, Lane Osgood)

Cowley College hosted the South Central Kansas FFA District Agricultural Mechanics Career Development Event (CDE) on March 25 at its Sumner Campus in Wellington, welcoming approximately 100 students representing 26 high school chapters from across the region.

The competition provided students the opportunity to demonstrate hands-on skills in multiple areas of agricultural mechanics, including welding, electrical systems, small gas engines, farm equipment, and concrete fundamentals. The concrete portion of the contest was made possible through the support and partnership of Conco Construction.

The Belle Plaine FFA chapter earned top honors as the overall team champion. Team members included Zaden Cox, Emmett Lawless, Ryder Slack, and Lane Osgood.

Individually, the top overall competitor represented Hillsboro FFA. Due to unforeseen circumstances within the Hillsboro community, Cowley College was unable to connect with the student prior to this release but plans to recognize their achievement at a later time.

Agricultural Mechanics CDEs, organized through the National FFA Organization, are designed to develop students’ technical knowledge and problem-solving abilities while preparing them for careers in agricultural equipment technology and related fields.

Each member of the top team, along with the high individual competitor, received prizes including tools, personal protective equipment, and Cowley College apparel. These awards were made possible through the generous support of Tractor Supply in Wellington, Mill Creek Lumber in Wellington, Arrowhead Animal Clinic, and Z’s Bees.

The event was hosted in coordination with district leadership, including District Host and Belle Plaine High School agriculture teacher Jason Carl. “Thank you to Cowley College for providing the South Central Kansas FFA District with a location for the Ag Mechanics Contest. About 100 students from area high schools participated and were able to experience the Cowley facilities in Wellington. A special thanks goes to Zach Cooper, Marlin Burcham, and Cowley staff that were able to help coordinate the day of the contest,” said Carl.

Teams will start preparing to compete at the state level later this semester for the opportunity to represent Kansas at the national competition.

Hunter Ferguson | Integrated Communications Specialist
Cowley College
125 S. 2nd Street
Arkansas City, KS 67005
hunter.ferguson@cowley.edu