By Andi Anderson
Western Illinois University (WIU) agriculture students delivered an impressive performance at the Spring 2026 Professional Agricultural Students (PAS) Conference, held on Thursday, Feb. 12.
Three students achieved third‑place finishes in their individual categories, earning the opportunity to compete at the national level.
Senior agriculture teacher education major Adam Vail of Tennessee, Illinois, placed third in the Individual Prepared Speaking event. He credited his success to the guidance and support he received from his peers and faculty.
“What prepared me was my outstanding friends and my Ag Ed Professor, Dusti Ingles, who took time out of their day to allow me to do a practice run through after school one day,” Vail said. “I was able to get critical feedback and overall felt more confident going into the event.”
Senior agricultural science major Laila Beck from Arenzville secured third place in the Individual Soils Specialist category. Freshman agricultural science major Olivia Brodbeck of Batchtown earned third place in the Individual Precision Agriculture event.
Brodbeck expressed excitement and surprise at her results, sharing an important lesson from her experience.
“One of my biggest takeaways is to never count yourself out of the competition,” she said. “I was the only girl in my category and did not feel very good about the identification and test part of the competition. I did not think I did very well so I was very surprised when they announced that I got third. I learned that I can still hold my own and be able to compare my strengths and weaknesses and improve on those.”
All three students will move on to represent WIU at the national PAS competition beginning Monday, March 9, in Branson, Missouri. Their achievements highlight WIU’s ongoing commitment to agricultural excellence and hands‑on learning.
In addition to the competitive success, freshman broadcasting and journalism major Ben Wamsley of Taylorville was elected the 2026–27 Illinois PAS President. He expressed enthusiasm about promoting the importance of agriculture.
“I hope to expand the knowledge of PAS to increase the number of supporters and members,” Wamsley said. “Agriculture is one of the most important industries in the world, and I want to make sure people fully understand every aspect of it.”
Together, these accomplishments reflect the dedication, skill, and leadership of WIU’s agricultural community as students prepare for the national stage.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-poike
Categories: Illinois, Education