COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KRHD) — The Texas A&M meat judging team has claimed the national championship at the International Intercollegiate Meat Judging Contest in November, capping off a dominant season that included victories at the American Royal in Omaha and strong finishes in Houston.
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For more than 100 years, the meat judging team has been a cornerstone of Aggie tradition. The competition involves evaluating different cuts of meat, determining their quality, and explaining those choices—a test of both knowledge and attention to detail.
"These guys never stopped learning and so that's a really big testament to them and how like hungry they were to learn and why they were successful in the end," Coach Gage Walsh said.
The team's success came from early mornings, long days, and consistent hard work throughout the season. But team members say the experience provided benefits beyond trophies.
"I think one of the greatest benefits that we all reaped throughout this whole season, whether we won a contest or lost, was just the camaraderie that we got to experience amongst each other," team member Hayley Bryan said.
Meat judging isn't just about picking the best cuts. Students evaluate, grade, and explain their choices, testing their knowledge and skills in ways that prepare them for careers in meat science, animal science, food inspection, and other industry roles where expertise in quality evaluation matters.
"It just has showed us so many doors and opportunities that we are very grateful for," team member Trace Spencer said.
The demanding schedule and challenging competitions forged strong bonds among teammates, who describe their relationship as family-like.
"When you're in a plant and you're all having a rough day, you have to kind of pick each other up and keep going," team member Taylor Colvin said.
Team member Nataly Taylor said the experience strengthened their work ethic and brought them closer together.
"I would say we all came in here pretty hard workers, and it just strengthened that, made us even hard workers, gave us even more grit, and like they have all said, brought us closer together," Taylor said.
Walsh told his team at the start of the season that their teammates would become lifelong friends, potentially even attending each other's weddings.
"It's just real good to know that throughout it all, you got a good family behind you that's always gonna check up on you and be there for you," Taylor said.
With the season over and the hardware packed away, Walsh says this championship is just the beginning. He's eager for future teams to build on this momentum and bring even more championships back to Texas A&M, continuing the legacy of excellence in meat judging.
The 2025 Texas A&M Meat Judging Team includes Bryce Borchardt, Brant Werner, Corissa Perez, Coy Jacobs, Davis Nix, Edson Medina, Grace Real, Haley Bryand, Harper Parson, Joaquin Tagle, Lily Ford, Nataly Taylor, Taylor Colvin, Tatum Harborth, and Tres Spencer, and is coached by graduate student Gage Walsh.
The team also extends its thanks to the staff and professors at Texas A&M and within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, including Faculty Meat Judging Coordinator Drew Cassens, for their continued support and guidance throughout the season.
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