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Texas Tech continues its string of success in meat judging.
"It's just another day in the cooler, it's just another set of carcasses," says Jessica Kimbro, member of the team. It's just an everyday occurrence for these students.
"We get dressed, we get all of our cooler coats and frocks and hair nets and hard hats on and we go in and we grade carcasses and look at their quality grade, which is the amount of marbling in the rib eye," says member Loni Wooley. "We look at their yield grade, which determines the amount of muscle they have compared to the amount of fat."
The 2010 team has accomplished a goal that only two others have, says member Trevor White.
"We are the third team in history to win six contests in a row," says White. "And if we win the international we will be the first team to win seven contests."
The team fell just short of the national championship, placing second to Colorado State at the international contest in Dakota City. But that hasn't dampened their spirits. Each member works hard and believes they have already accomplished more than they could imagine.
"At the last contest at Cargill, we set the second highest score in the 85-year history of meat judging so that was really exciting," says White. "We had everyone that marked on the team had a really good day so that was fun."
White says what makes this team so good is each member is just as strong as the next.
Not only does the meat judging team travel across the country several times a year to compete. Their weekends consist of tough practices.
"I would compare it to a football practice," says Wooley. "You have to mentally prepare and physically prepare your body. We have practice mainly on Friday and Saturday." She says the competition is not for the faint at heart.
"We're not afraid to touch it or cut it up or cut the fat off or anything like that, and get bloody," says Wooley. "It's definitely not a glamorous job, we do have to wear frocks and hard hats and hairnets."
Kimbro says they owe their success to their coach, Dr. Mark Miller.
"He really inspires all of us as teams to strive for honor, just like our motto is, and we really just want to do our best to honor God in the process of it.
Wooley says although they would have loved to take home that national championship this year has still been more than they could ask for.
"We still walk away with this great experience in meat judging and a great set of friends."
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