Dairy Products Judging Team
The Kansas State University Dairy Products Judging Team has an active schedule. Both undergraduate and graduate students compete annually at the international Intercollegiate Dairy products Evaluation Contest that is held in various cities throughout North America. Students evaluate eight samples each of butter, Cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, milk, strawberry yogurt and vanilla ice cream for flavor, appearance and body and texture characteristics. Undergraduate students compete individually and as a team for scholarships and placements. Undergraduate students compete individually. The majority of funding is obtained through the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, College of Agriculture Competition Teams Council, Student Government Association and the food and dairy industries. Currently, the intercollegiate contests are held in the Fall and Spring.
The 2026 team consisted of undergraduate students Nathan Chavez, Nolan Messmore, Seb Figueroa Villanueva, and Kevin Sanford, alongside graduate student Omar Abdelsater. Guided by Hammam and assistant coach Jared Parsons, the team excelled across product categories, including milk, butter, ice cream, and cheese.
The team ranked:
- 1st in milk
- 2nd in butter
- 3rd in ice cream
- 4th in Cheddar cheese
- 5th in yogurt
- 6th in cottage cheese
For undergraduate students, three of our students ranked in the top seven overall nationally:
- Nathan Chavez - 3rd overall, ranked 5th in Cheddar and milk, 6th in butter, and 9th in ice cream
- Nolan Messmore - 6th overall, ranked 3rd in milk, ice cream, and yogurt, and 4th in butter
- Seb Figueroa Villanueva - 7th overall, ranked 6th in milk and 9th in Cheddar
- Kevin Sanford - 21st overall, ranked 8th in butter
At the graduate level, Omar Abdelsater ranked:
- 1st in ice cream
- 3rd in milk, butter, Cheddar cheese, and cottage cheese
- 4th in yogurt
- 4th overall nationally
Contact Information
Dr. Ahmed Hammam
Assistant Professor
225 Call Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506
785-532-1216
arhammam@ksu.edu