On Dec. 1, Decatur FFA rang throughout the Sam Houston University as the Texas FFA First Vice President, Tyler Reiley, announced the Quiz team as third in state.

Starting in September, the quiz team consisting of Shelbie Chandler, Brittney Hubbard, Hannah Hubbard and Michaela Cross began working towards their goal of advancing to state.

“I reread the material and studied constantly,” senior Brittney Hubbard said after reflecting on the efforts it took to prepare for state.

The FFA Quiz competition is a contest that allows members the opportunity to test their knowledge on FFA facts, current agriculture events and parliamentary procedure.

“You take a 150 question test over five different materials and you don’t know what’s going to be on the test,” senior Shelbie Chandler said.

As the team advanced to the different levels of the contest, the test grew more difficult.

“We have to memorize a lot and it’s very difficult,” senior Hannah Hubbard said.

When the contest began at the district level, about 605 teams competed in Texas. After attending study parties, studying at home and making last minute efforts in their hotel room in Huntsville, the quiz teams hard work paid off as they were announced as the third place team in the state.

“I was really proud and very excited,” Brittney Hubbard said.

Ag teacher, Jim Allsup, has been privileged with the opportunity to take three senior quiz teams to state. However, this year’s team placed the highest out of those who have advanced.

“I was proud of the girls,” Allsup said. “They were the ones who worked their butts off. It was proof that hard work pays off.”

Three of the team members are seniors and will graduate this year.

“It was the perfect way to end high school,” Hannah Hubbard said when thinking about all the awards the quiz team had won.