Special to Iredell Free News

Students from the North Iredell High School Agriculture and Future Farmers of America (FFA) have once again received state recognition for excellence.

Four NIHS students competed in the Agricultural Mechanics Career Development Event this week. Their combined team score earned them third place in the state competition.

The team consisted of Zack Cartner, Davis Brown, Chanler Speaks and Austin Chambers. The NIHS FFA is led by NIHS Agriculture teacher Bryant York.

The purpose of the Agricultural Mechanics Career Development Event is to stimulate interest, encourage proficiency development and recognize excellence of students using skills in agricultural mechanics. The main focus of this career development event is the current curriculum being offered in North Carolina.

Students demonstrate their problem-solving skills as well as their hands-on performance in the event areas.

Each participant had to answer a 50-question written exam and complete 20 problem scenarios that involve the gathering or searching of information, studying the data or information and the use of a logical solution process based on commonly accepted standards to solve a problem related to a subject matter unit. An example might be to look up specific data from an operator’s manual to solve a problem stated in written form.