Southwind 4-H Members Win State Championships

Fifteen 4-H members had the opportunity to represent the Southwind Extension District at the annual Kansas 4-H Livestock Sweepstakes at Kansas State University. Their skills and knowledge were challenged by participating in Livestock & Meats Judging, Livestock Quiz Bowl and Livestock Skillathon contests. Those attending were (from left to right) Front Row: Kolby Seested, Gavin Fry, Haydon Schaaf, Brody Nemecek, Jillian Keller, Clay Brillhart, Danielle Nading, Sadie Marchiano, Carla Nemecek, Coach & Southwind District Director. Back Row: Brooklyn Pruitt, Dylan Hazelbaker, Aidan Yoho, Kristy Beene, Gwen Fry, Carly Dreher and Zach Snyder.  

SOUTHWIND 4-H MEMBERS WIN 3 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

 

4-H members from the Southwind Extension District excelled at the annual Kansas 4-H Livestock Sweepstakes event on August 18-19 in Kansas State University’s Weber Hall. Participants from the Southwind Extension District were Gavin Fry, Sadie Marchiano, Danielle Nading, Kolby Seested, Clay Brillhart, Jillian Keller, Brody Nemecek, Haydon Schaaf, Carly Dreher, Brooklyn Pruitt, Zach Snyder, Aidan Yoho, Kristyn Beene, Gwen Fry and Dylan Hazelbaker representing 4-H Clubs from Allen, Bourbon and Woodson Counties.

4-H members learned gained new knowledge and worked on livestock skills in order to be competitive in the Sweepstakes event which consisted of blending scores in four contests. Southwind Extension District completed the weekend by being named the 2018 Champion and 3rd Overall Kansas State 4-H Sweepstakes Teams. Top ten individual Sweepstakes winners for Southwind were Clay Brillhart 8th, Brody Nemecek 5th, Gavin Fry 4th and Haydon Schaaf was named High Individual Overall after excelling in all contests.

The Livestock Quiz Bowl started with a qualifying exam. The eight teams with the highest average scores advanced to the quiz bowl competition. Southwind #2 (Seested, Fry, Schaaf, Nemecek) was seated first after the test and was later named the Champion Quiz Bowl Team where they won the final match 265 points to 40 points. Southwind #1 (Nading, Keller, Brillhart, Marchiano) also scored well on the quiz and were seated as the #2 team.

The Livestock Judging contest consisted of nine judging classes and four sets of reasons with 227 contestants and 42 teams from across Kansas. Southwind #2 (Brillhart, Nemecek, Keller, Schaaf) was 1st in Sheep/Goats; 1st in Swine; 1st in Cattle and 1st in Reasons and named Champion Team Overall. Southwind #1 (Gavin Fry, Marchiano, Seested, Nading) was 4th in Sheep/Goats; 2nd in Swine; 2nd in Cattle; 2nd in Reasons and named Reserve High Team Overall. Individually, Clay Brillhart was High Individual in Swine, 4th in Sheep/Goats, 4th in Cattle, High Individual in Reasons and 2nd High Individual Overall; Kolby Seested was 5th in Swine, 10th in Sheep/Goats, 8th in Reasons, and 8th Individual Overall; Haydon Schaaf was 4th in Swine; Brody Nemecek was 3rd in Swine, 2nd in Sheep/Goats, 8th in Cattle, 5th in Reasons and 3rd High Individual; Danielle Nading was 2nd in Swine, 8th in Sheep/Goats, 3rd in Cattle, 3rd in Reasons, and 4th High Individual; Jillian Keller was 6th in Swine, 9th in Sheep/Goats, 6th in Cattle, 6th in Reasons, and 6th Individual Overall; Sadie Marchiano was 10th in Reasons.  As the State Champion Livestock Judging Team, Southwind District will represent Kansas 4-H at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, CO next January.

The Meats Judging contest was based on the identification of thirty retail cuts, six placings classes and three sets of reasons. Haydon Schaaf was named 2nd in Retail ID, 3rd in Placings and 2nd High Individual Overall; Gavin Fry was 9th in Retail ID, 10th in Placings and 8th Individual Overall; Sadie Marchiano was 3rd in Reasons; Aidan Yoho was 11th in Reasons; Clay Brillhart was 10th In ID; Southwind #2 (Schaaf, Fry, Brillhart, Nemecek) was 2nd in Reasons, 2nd in Retail ID and Reserve Champion Team Overall.  Southwind #1 (Keller, Marchiano, Nading, Seested) was 3rd in Reasons and 7th High Team Overall.

In the Livestock Skillathon, 4-H members rotated individually through stations that addressed six areas of animal science. Those included feedstuffs, breed identification, equipment identification, meat identification, and a written test. There was also a team component where members worked together on evaluating a performance Angus genetics scenario, understanding livestock biosecurity, and understanding issues in livestock reproduction. Individually, Brody Nemecek was 5th in the Practicum, 4th in the Exam, and 3rd Individual; Gavin Fry was 3rd in the Practicum, 1st in Exam, and 2nd High Individual Overall; Clay Brillhart was 10th Individual Overall, and Haydon Schaaf was 7th Individual Overall.

This group worked hard and studied a great deal of material to prepare for four state contests. Carla Nemecek, Southwind Extension District Director coaches all of these teams. To be named the Champion and Reserve Champion Livestock Judging Teams, Reserve Champion Meats Judging Team, Reserve Livestock Skillathon Team, Champion Livestock Quiz Bowl Team, and Overall Champion Sweepstakes Team at the state contests shows how hard these 4-H members pushed each other to “Make the Best Better.”

The Southwind District is proud of their accomplishments and looks forward to future growth and learning.

 

Submitted by Carla Nemecek

 

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