Proceedings, 1997

National FFA Talent
Sponsored by Ford Division— Ford Motor Company
Many convention goers were
surprised to see a teenage boy clad in
purple spandex spinning 25 feet above
the stage, suspended by his head. But when it's
time for the National FFA Talent participants to do their thing,
you never know what to expect.
Bradley Smith, a member of the North Miami FFA
Chapter in Indiana, dazzled crowds with his trapeze act.
Other talented members had acts that were a little more
conventional—and then there was the Elvis impersonator.
The National FFA Talent Revue, performed Thursday
evening, garnered thunderous applause and roaring cheers.
ALABAMA: Kim Bickley,
Eufaula; Josh Bradshaw,
Eufaula; Mitch Gissendaner,
Eufaula; Joey Hinson,
Eufaula; Kevin Jernigan,
Eufaula; Allen Kirkland,
Eufaula; Brad Mitchell,
Eufaula; Garrett Nixon,
Eufaula; JanReqa Pugh,
Eufaula; Kella Stephenson,
Eufaula; David Warren,
Eufaula; Aftan Collum, Red
Bay; Brittney Collum, Red
Bay; Devin Dotson, Red
Bay; Brandon Elliot, Red
Bay; Daniel Garrison, Red
Bay; Kacey Hester, Red Bay;
Derek Humphries, Red Bay;
Dustin Nunley Red Bay;
Gannon Nunley, Red Bay;
Eric Thorn, Red Bay; Kelly
Blackwell, Section
ARIZONA: Wade Escalante,
Baboquivari; Shawn
Miquel, Baboquivari; James
Moreno, Baboquivari; Brian
Ventura, Baboquivari
ARKANSAS: Dustin
Shelton, Stuttgart
COLORADO: Anya Mack,
Arickaree
DELAWARE: Heather
Freeman, Sussex Central
ILLINOIS: Annette Miller,
Nokomis
INDIANA: Bradley Smith,
North Miami
IOWA: Jason Smith, Louisa-
Muscatine; Matt Thie,
Mediapolis
North Miami, Ind., FFA member Bradley Smith flies through the air
with the greatest of ease 25 feet above the national convention stage.
'4-8
The talented FFA members did more than perform for
convention crowds. They strutted their stuff all over the
greater Kansas City area, entertaining civic groups and other
gatherings; more than 400 performances in all.
According to director Gary Maricle, principal of Excel-
sior Springs High School in nearby Liberty, Mo., 76 FFA
members from 44 chapters came together to perform as part
of the talent program. The talented FFA members were
selected to participate based on audition tapes they submit-
ted earlier in the year.
MARYLAND: C. Ben
Williams, Frederick
MICHIGAN: Gretta Barie,
Hillman
MINNESOTA: Nichole
Waldeman, Chisago; Jessica
Wille, Chisago; Justin
Lessman, Tracy
MISSISSIPPI: Courtney
Scoggin, Newton Municipal
MISSOURI: Laura Skipper,
Chillicothe; Rachel
Pamperin, Lebanon; Leah
Reid, Sweet Springs; Lori
Reid, Sweet Springs
NEVADA: Jay Dalton, Wells;
Elizabeth Lawson, Smith
Valley
NEW MEXICO: Bethany
Sanchez, Hondo; Summer
Savage, Portales
NORTH CAROLINA:
Brittany Whitmire,
Rosmann
OHIO: Angela Allen,
Edgewood; Katie Mabry,
Fairbanks; Matthew
Schieferstein, Monroeville
OKLAHOMA: Jarie Pierce,
Buffalo; Terah McKee,
Haworth; Elizabeth Kinney,
Mooreland; Kristin
Johnson, Mountain View-
Gotebo; Rachel Drawbaugh,
Vanoss
PENNSYLVANIA: Dayna
Weinhold, Hans Herr
TEXAS: Ronald Elliott Jr.,
Coldspring; Daniel Will-
iams, Coldspring; Stephen
Brown, Katy; John Burch,
Hempsted; Gabriel Garcia,
Lytle; Sarah White,
Northside; Deanna Merrill,
Prairiland; Jonathan
Newman, Prairiland; Amber
Norwood, Prairiland
UTAH: Donnie Phillips,
Mount Nebo; George
Phillips, Mount Nebo;
James Phillips, Mount
Nebo; Judy Phillips, Mount
Nebo; Stephen Phillips,
Mount Nebo
WASHINGTON: Christopher
Guenther, Chehalis;
Jessica Beall, North Kitsap;
Marc Johnson, North Kitsap
WISCONSIN: Crystal
Neuman, Osceola; Matthew
Reinders, Johnson Creek