The Eastern Oklahoma State College Board of Regents recognized the success of the college’s meat judging team at its April meeting. Back Row (left to right): Regent Leland Walker, Regent Brian Lott, Sam Baldino, Caden Russell, Chairman Latt Jeffrey, Regent Jerry Hamilton, EOSC President Dr. Randy Harp. Front Row: Meat judging coach Jade Edwards, Kylie Oliver, Jacob Ginger, Denise Yaws, Addison Bryles, Kadie Tidwell, Maeson Crow and Regent Larry Spradley. Not pictured: Charity Elliott.
WILBURTON, Oklahoma – The Eastern Oklahoma State College Meat Judging Team capped off a strong Spring 2026 season with multiple top finishes, including two team wins, as they competed against some of the nation’s top junior college and university programs.
Eastern opened the spring at the Texas Tech Southwestern Invitational in Lubbock, Texas, finishing sixth overall. Sam Baldino led the Mountaineers with an eighth-place individual finish and a runner-up performance in beef grading.
The team quickly found its stride at the National Western contest in Greeley, Colo., placing third overall while turning in a balanced performance across divisions. Eastern placed second in total beef and earned top-three finishes in questions, beef grading, and beef judging. Baldino, Kadie Tidwell, and Denise Yaws all finished among the top 15 individuals, with Yaws also placing fourth in beef grading. Caden Russell added a top-20 individual finish, while Charity Elliott led the alternates as high alternate.
Eastern broke through in a major way at the Fort Worth/Southwestern contest in Ennis, Texas, claiming its first team victory of the season. The Mountaineers dominated in beef, winning both total beef and beef grading while adding runner-up finishes in lamb and pork judging. Baldino earned high individual honors to lead a standout group performance, while Elliott finished third overall with top-two finishes in questions and pork judging. Russell added a top-10 individual finish, and the team showed depth with strong alternate placings from Kylie Oliver, Jacob Ginger, and Yaws.
At the South Plains contest in Hereford, Texas, Eastern placed sixth overall, highlighted by a third-place finish in pork judging and fourth in questions. Baldino again paced the team individually, while Russell, Ginger, Maeson Crow, and Yaws contributed strong alternate performances.
The Mountaineers closed the season in dominant fashion at the Houston Livestock Show contest in Houston, Texas, earning their second team victory of the spring. Eastern swept the beef division, winning both beef grading and total beef, while also claiming first and third in lamb judging and finishing second in questions. Ginger delivered a career performance, earning high individual honors while winning both total beef and beef grading. Baldino added a seventh-place individual finish and won the lamb judging division, while Russell and Tidwell secured top-15 finishes. Elliott also contributed with a third-place finish in lamb judging.
Throughout the spring, Eastern demonstrated both consistency and peak performance, recording two team wins, a third-place national finish, and multiple top-six team results. The Mountaineers were led by a deep roster that included Baldino, Addison Bryles, Crow, Elliott, Ginger, Oliver, Russell, Tidwell, and Yaws.
Under the direction of head coach Jade Edwards, the program continues to build on its tradition of excellence, combining individual success with strong team finishes against elite competition nationwide.
Get Local News!
