Animal Science Quadrathlon Team

Our department supports the OSU Animal Science Quadrathlon Team that competes during the spring semester. The Academic Quadrathlon is a skills competition held at the local, regional, and national levels. Teams of four are up made of university undergraduates. Winning teams continue to move up to the next level of competition.

 

The national winning team is determined at the American Society of Animal Science national meeting in July. The regional contest takes place during the ASAS Southern Section meeting.

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Competition

The team first competes in the local Animal Science Quadrathlon. If they do well, the team then moves on to the regional and national levels, respectively.

 

This competition tests the team in all areas of animal science and incorporates hands-on production tasks though the practicum, written evaluation, and oral communication, as well as creativity through the presentation and quick thinking/trivia knowledge through the quiz bowl.

 

The team advisor provides their students with a general description of the Quadrathlon based on the rules and competition format so the students know what is required. Faculty can’t directly coach a Quadrathlon team, so the team members must be self-motivated, well-rounded individuals in order to be successful.

• How it Works

  Teams participate in four events: Laboratory Practicum, Written Exam, Oral Presentation, and Quiz Bowl.

   

  In the Laboratory Practicum, the team demonstrates its ability to perform physical skills. Work at each station lasts 15 to 20 minutes and involves the entire team. The work at each station usually involves a species such as beef or swine or a disciplinary area such as nutrition or meats.

   

  The Written Exam has a 60-minute time limit. The questions may involve any area related to animal production and products. Each team works on one exam, dividing the questions as they wish.

   

  In the Oral Presentation, the students may choose from a list of topics related to animal agriculture. They have 60 minutes to prepare the presentation. They will be provided with transparency sheets and markers. During the presentation, they may use an overhead projector to share information. This is an exercise in cooperative problem-solving.

   

  In the Quiz Bowl, questions may be on any topic that relates to animal agriculture and that are answerable in a short period of time. Each round is made up of "toss-up" questions. After a series of "toss-up" questions, teams can earn the chance to get extra points on a "bonus" question. Toss-up questions must be answered individually. For the bonus question, individuals may confer with their team. Quiz games will be organized as a double elimination tournament.

• Honors & Recognition
  • Second place team at the Southern Section competition (2019)
  • National championship team (2015)
  • Second place team at the Southern Section competition (2014)
  • First place team at the Southern Section competition (2013)
• Team Photos

  All of our team photos are available online on Flickr.

• Scholarships & Aid

  There are multiple scholarship opportunities for judging team members, as well as potential funding for team travel expenses and practice resources.

• Giving Opportunities

  Interested in supporting a judging team? View available giving opportunities on the OSU Foundation website.