04/26/2026
4th overall in the state and Kaelyn taking 5th overall individual in the state! 💛💙🎉
STATE CHAMPS 🐠
Congratulations to the team from J.M. Tate FFA, named as STATE CHAMPION of the 2026 Florida FFA State High School Aquaculture CDE on April 10!
Members of the state champion team, from J.M. Tate High School of Escambia County Public Schools, include Henry Merritt, Aden Bailey, Luke Graham and Daniel Aldridge, with chapter advisor Rachel Veninga.
Henry Merritt placed as the overall high scoring individual, followed by Aden Bailey in second, Luke Graham in third and Daniel Aldridge in sixth as individuals in the competition.
Other top placing teams include...
2 — Ocoee High School FFA (Orange)
Payton Grant — Fourth High Individual
Isabella Mccollum — Seventh High Individual
Zuriya Lopez
Stephen Williams
3 — Orlando Colonial (Orange)
Grafton Harris — Eighth High Individual
Tri Nguyen — Tied Tenth High Individual
Deanna Treuren
Alexander Deimel
4 — Pine Ridge FFA (Volusia)
Kaelyn Kinley — Fifth High Indiviual
Aubrey Cooke
Kolten Stough
Timothy Wheeler
5 — Newberry FFA (Alachua)
Wesley Wichert — Ninth High Individual
Matthew Rogers — Tied Tenth High Individual
Christia Sims
Jacob Birkett
6 — Lake Nona High School FFA (Orange)
Elena Salas Colon — Tied Tenth High Individual
Mia Conesa Cedano
Aaliyah Ortiz
Santiago Rozo Lara
7 — Parrish Community FFA (Manatee)
Warren Peterson
Kristen Brooks
Nathanial Crestani
Kinley Harber
8 — Sickles FFA (Hillsborough)
Cade Robb
Jayda Diaz
Paul Zancara
Andrew P**n
After qualifying for the state finals through placing in the top 10 on the online preliminary earlier this spring, each team competed on the state level, hosted by the UF IFAS Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory in Ruskin on April 10.
The Aquaculture CDE gives member the opportunity to explore aspects of the aquaculture industry, including fish, plants and aquatic habitats, plus learning about topics such as water quality and fishery management.
Congratulations, teams!