Bringing Home the Gold

By Eugenia Jones

Last week, the McCreary Central FFA forestry team placed sixth in the National Competition in Indianapolis, Indiana.   This is the fourth time in school history that McCreary Central High School’s FFA forestry team has placed among the top 10 teams. This year’s team members, (left to right:  Sponsor Cameron Lee, Shawn Staley, Logan Creekmore, Deavon Shelton, and Emily Watters) set a new record with all four students receiving gold rankings-a first for McCreary Central’s Forestry Team. Additionally, team member Deavon Shelton placed in the top ten individually.   Earlier this summer, the forestry team members excelled by placing first in the Kentucky State forestry exam.  In the National competition, the team competed in a hybrid contest with half of the competition being virtual and the other half being in person. Competition areas  for the national event were Timber Cruising, Tree ID, Forest Business, Team Activity, Tool ID, and Interview. The local FFA Forestry Team Members are honored and proud to have brought the gold back home to the McCreary Central FFA chapter.