Oklahoma FFA led the title count in five major award groups at the 99th National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, with 17 national titles.
Oklahoma FFA members earned one American Star award, five Proficiency Awards, two team championships and nine Agriscience Fair championships to finish ahead of Texas, which earned 14 titles, and California, which had 13.
The National FFA Convention celebrates FFA members from all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The convention includes individual award and degree recognition, chapter award recognition, official delegate business and national officer elections.
“It fills me with a lot of pride to see our members do so well and represent Oklahoma on the national stage,” said Trevor Lucas, Oklahoma FFA executive secretary with Oklahoma CareerTech. “We may have a smaller population, but we have outstanding students and agriculture instructors who challenge and encourage them every day. These national honors reflect the teaching and learning taking place in agricultural education programs across our state.”
Cooper Kline, North Rock Creek, received the American Star Farmer Award. He is Oklahoma’s 12th American Star Farmer and the 23rd American Star winner across all four categories. He follows 2025 winner Ryder Klaassen. Oklahoma last won consecutive Star Farmer titles in 2008 and 2009.
National Proficiency Award champions were Wyatt Parker, Cherokee, Agricultural Services - Entrepreneurship/Placement; Madilyn Bishop, Stillwater, Agriscience Research - Integrated Systems; Zachary Allen, Guthrie, Diversified Horticulture - Entrepreneurship/Placement; Kynseth Zubrod, Guthrie, Equine Science - Entrepreneurship; and Dal Bentley, Laverne, Poultry Production - Entrepreneurship/Placement. Oklahoma also had 16 additional National Proficiency Award finalists and 19 Gold Proficiency Award recipients.
Oklahoma teams winning national championship titles were Lomega FFA, Agricultural Issues Forum, and Stillwater FFA, Conduct of Chapter Meetings.
Three chapters also were named runners-up in team competitions: Edmond FFA, Marketing Plan; Madill FFA, Parliamentary Procedure; and Stillwater FFA, Veterinary Science.
National Agriscience Fair national champions were Zane Dyches and Blayklee Stelzer, Oologah, Animal Systems Division 4; Paetyn Gilliam and Eliana Timmons, Stillwater, Animal Systems Division 6; Audrey Arnall, Stillwater, Environmental Services and Natural Resource Systems Division 1; Kylie Carter and Ellie Moore, Stillwater, Environmental Services and Natural Resource Systems Division 2; Hadley Tubbs and Jaxon Pickens, Stillwater, Plant Systems Division 4; Blane Miller, Oologah, Power Structural and Technical Systems Division 1; Aubrey Turner and Mathias May, Stillwater, Power Structural and Technical Systems Division 2; Sofie Jensen, Oologah, Power Structural and Technical Systems Division 3; and Lyssa Wilmoth, Stillwater, Social Science Division 1.
Oklahoma also had 21 additional Agriscience Fair finalists.
Oklahoma FFA had five national runners-up, including in all three national speaking events: Jalyn Lundry, Haworth, Creed Speaking; Annie Schneider, Seiling, Extemporaneous Public Speaking; and Cierra Collins, Frederick, Prepared Public Speaking. Lucas said he believes Oklahoma has never placed in all three speaking contests in the same year.
Oklahoma FFA members also received 12 gold emblem awards -- two third place finishers, one fifth, one eighth, one ninth and seven other gold emblem awards; 32 distinct National Three Star Chapter awards; 283 American FFA Degree recipients; eight National Chapter Award finalists; and 14 Honorary American FFA Degree recipients. One Oklahoman was in the national band, 12 were in the chorus, one was a national talent performer and three were national talent finalists.
FFA, one of seven co-curricular CareerTech student organizations, is affiliated with agricultural education. The other six are FCCLA (family and consumer sciences education), DECA (marketing education), SkillsUSA (trade and industrial education), Business Professionals of America (business and information technology education), Technology Student Association (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and HOSA (health careers education).
Oklahoma CareerTech: Oklahoma’s Workforce Leader
The Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education provides leadership and resources and assures standards of excellence for a comprehensive statewide system of career and technology education. The system offers programs and services in 29 technology center districts operating on 63 campuses, 394 PK-12 school districts, 20 skills centers campuses that include three juvenile facilities and 49 adult education and family literacy providers.
The agency is governed by the State Board of Career and Technology Education and works closely with the State Department of Education and the State Regents for Higher Education to provide a seamless educational system for all Oklahomans.
