The Western Regional Academic Quadrathlon contest was held in conjunction with the Western Section American Society of Animal Science meetings in Miles City, Montana in June, 2011. The contest categories included a written challenge, an oral presentation on a topic of current relevance to animal agriculture, a laboratory practical challenge with application of applied knowledge in up to 10 disciplines and species, and finished with a double elimination quiz bowl. Participating universities included the University of Wyoming, (placed first in each category resulting in top score for overall winner), New Mexico State University (2^nd overall), Colorado State University (3^rd overall), Oregon State University, and BYU-Idaho. This year’s overall winning team, The University of Wyoming, will compete in the national Academic Quadrathlon beef quiz bowl contest that will be held in Nashville, Tennessee in February, 2012 in conjunction with the annual National Cattleman’s Beef Association convention.

University of Wyoming team: left to right: Steph Schroeder, Dr. Dan Rule (Advisor), Mandy Thomas,
Dr. Doug Hixon (Animal Science Department Head), Colin Yorges, and Brice Macintosh.

Special thank you for the 2011 AQ contest goes out to Dr. Rachel Endecott of Montana State University (stationed at USDA ARS Fort Keogh, Miles City) who organized the contest for this year’s regional competition. The many hard working folks who provided assistance with the event also deserved our sincerest thanks.

Subsequent to the contest lengthy discussion on future AQ events and the national AQ quiz bowl occurred during the business meeting. The 2012 Western Section meetings and AQ contest will be held during the national ASAS meetings in Phoenix, Arizona in July. Organization of next year’s Western AQ is currently underway and tentatively include lab practicum events at Arizona State University, Tucson. The other events require a few rooms for written challenges, oral presentations, and the quiz bowl. Imperative to the timing of the AQ, the quiz bowl rounds need to be part of the reception for the meetings.

Timing and location of the national AQ beef quiz bowl was also discussed. Major discussion pertained to conducting the national contest during the national meetings in 2012, as well as during future national ASAS meetings. No firm recommendations were decided upon; however, the idea of conducting the 2012 national AQ quiz bowl right after the Western Section AQ so that the national AQ quiz bowl was held during the reception of the 2012 meetings in Phoenix has merit and will be subject to further discussion among Western Section AQ participating schools and the national ASAS office.