The winning Texas A&M University contingent at the 2025 Australian ICMJ championships.

A TEXAS A&M University team was crowned Australian meat judging champions ahead of the University of Queensland’s entry at the annual ICMJ national competition in New South Wales last week.

The Texas A&M University finished just 15 points ahead of the University of Queensland in the 2025 Intercollegiate Meat Judging Competition event at the Charles Sturt University’s Wagga Wagga campus.

The winning team, made up of Bryce Borchardt, Harper Parson, Grace Real and Taylor Colvin took out champion team in the beef judging class and were runner-up team in the lamb judging, commercial evaluation and overall placings classes.

Grace Real was also awarded the John Carter ICMJ Founder’s Buckle as the champion individual overall with 1146 points out of a possible 1250. UQ’s Kathryn Fisher was runner-up with 1131 points.

It was the second year in a row a team from the United States has taken out the competition and the fourth year in a row the UQ team has finished in second place.

The second-placed University of Queensland team, from left, Andrew Thomson, Will Lawrence, Piper Christensen and Kathryn Fisher, with MLA director Tess Herbert.

This year’s UQ team, made up of Piper Christensen, Kathryn Fisher, Will Lawrence and Andrew Thomson, took out the retail cut and saleable item identification and the pork judging classes.

Marcus Oldham College were named champion team in the lamb judging class while Murdoch University won the overall placings class and the University of Sydney took out the commercial evaluations class.

The meat judging competition is one of the main components of the ICMJ National Conference held annually in July at Charles Sturt University and Teys Australia.

ICMJ president Professor Peter McGilchrist said the passion and dedication shown by this year’s competitors reinforced that the future of the red meat industry is in incredibly capable hands.

“ICMJ is more than just a competition; it’s a launch pad.

“It provides unparalleled opportunities for students to connect with industry, gain hands-on experience, and ultimately shape their future in the red meat industry,” Professor McGilchrist said.

“To see these students, many of whom start with limited industry exposure, transform over five days into confident, knowledgeable future leaders is incredibly rewarding. That’s the true power of the ICMJ experience.”

Following this week’s conference and competition, a group of 19 Australian university students were also selected to participate in the ICMJ Intensive Industry Training Week in Brisbane later this year. Some of those students will then be selected to represent Australia on the National ICMJ Team to tour the United States early next year.

The ICMJ National Conference is supported by foundational partners Meat and Livestock Australia and Australian Meat Processor Corporation. It is also supported by a range of industry partners including Teys Australia, Australian Pork Limited, Thomas Foods International, JBS Australia, NH Foods, Australian Poll Dorset Association, Australian Meat Group, Fletcher International, Rimfire Resources, Angus Australia, Aus-Meat, Gundagai Meat Processors, SunPork Group, Harvey Beef, Australian Agricultural Company, Allflex, Bindaree Food Group and AgriTalent/AgriLabour Australia.

RESULTS

Australian Champion Team Overall

Runner Up: University of Queensland

Piper Christensen, Kathryn Fisher, Will Lawrence, Andrew Thomson

Champion: Texas A&M University

Bryce Borchardt, Harper Parson, Grace Real, Taylor Colvin

Coach of the Champion Team –  Drew Cassens

Champion Individual Overall

Runner-Up: Kathryn Fisher, University of Queensland

Champion: Grace Real, Texas A&M University

Tom Carr Award for Coaching Excellence – Jill Burgess and Alice Shirley, University of Sydney

CLASSES RESULTS

Pork Judging

Individual Runner Up: Will Lawrence, University of Queensland

Individual Champion: Grace Real, Texas A&M University

Runner Up Team: University of Melbourne

Duncan Highes, Tobey Jeffrey, Tom Johnstone, Campbell Macalister

Champion Team: University of Queensland – 668/800 Points

Piper Christensen, Kathryn Fisher, Will Lawrence, Andrew Thomson

Lamb Judging

Individual Runner Up: Piper Christensen,University of Queensland

Individual Champion: Kathryn Fisher, University of Queensland

Runner Up Team: Texas A&M University

Bryce Borchardt, Harper Parson, Grace Real, Taylor Colvin

Champion Team: Marcus Oldam College

Penelope Crothers, Thomas Kelly, Cooper Pearson, Alicia Nixon

Retail Cut and Saleable Item Identification

Individual Runner Up: Andrew Thomson, University of Queensland

Individual Champion: Kathryn Fisher, University of Queensland

Runner Up Team: University of Sydney

Catherine Baxter, Jade-Lily Jonovski, Jessica Vaughan, Lara Ri

Champion Team: University of Queensland

Piper Christensen, Kathryn Fisher, Will Lawrence, Andrew Thomson

Commercial Evaluation

Individual Runner Up: Kathryn Fisher,University of Queensland

Individual Champion: Bryce Borchardt,Texas A&M University

Runner Up Team: Texas A&M University

Bryce Borchardt, Harper Parson, Grace Real, Taylor Colvin

Champion Team: University of Sydney

Catherine Baxter, Jade-Lily Jonovski, Jessica Vaughan, Lara Ri

Beef Judging

Individual Runner Up: Taylor Colvin,Texas A&M University

Individual Champion: Grace Real,Texas A&M University

Runner Up Team: Murdoch University

Libby Hardingham, Mackenzie Pratt, Amber Turton, Zoe Skinner

Champion Team: Texas A&M University

Bryce Borchardt, Harper Parson, Grace Real, Taylor Colvin

Overall Placings

Individual Runner Up: Amy Collins, University of Queensland

Individual Champion: Michael Jansen, University of Adelaide

Runner Up Team: Texas A&M University

Bryce Borchardt, Harper Parson, Grace Real, Taylor Colvin

Champion Team: Murdoch University

Libby Hardingham, Mackenzie Pratt, Amber Turton, Zoe Skinner

Overall Questions

Individual Overall Runner Up: Kathryn Fisher, University of Queensland

Individual Overall Champion: Grace Real, Texas A&M University

Runner Up Team: University of Queensland

Piper Christensen, Kathryn Fisher, Will Lawrence, Andrew Thomson

Champion Team: Texas A&M University

Bryce Borchardt, Harper Parson, Grace Real, Taylor Colvin