Rene is a teacher at Highland High School and the coach of this years judging team.  This year started their first annual "National Trip."  She took her four seniors on this years trip.  They were David Ammann, Zach Thiems, Jordan Mettler, and Tyler Gross.  The trip was $5000 and they raised the money by selling candy, having a garage sale, selling fruit baskets, and from private donations.  The trip was from January 6th through the 10th.  The first day there, they were able to ski at Loveland Pass in Denver, Co.  The next day they spent practicing with the 8 members of Colorado state.  The following day they judged from 6am until 5:30pm that night.  They placed 8th as a team out of 35 teams in the nation.  They judged cattle, hogs and sheep.  The animals are judged on muscle, width, fat, and other criteria.