Youth showed off their dairy knowledge in Dairy Bowl and Dairy Jeopardy competitions at the 2015 National Holstein Convention, held June 23 -26, in St. Charles, Illinois. Almost 185 youth competed in the two contests, many of whom qualified at the state level to earn a spot to compete nationally with their team. Dairy Bowl
Dairy Bowl is a fast-paced competition in which teams of four compete head-to-head to see who can buzz in first to answer questions related to the dairy industry. A total of 28 teams competed in two divisions.
The Junior Division (ages 9-15) championship round came down to teams from Florida and Illinois. Illinois was victorious in the junior division, with a team consisting of Emma Carlson, Jared Dickman, Connor Erbsen, and Lane Heinzmann, with coaches John Mitchell, Becky Meier, and Glen Meier. The runner-up in this division, Florida, consisted of teammates Hunter Fioretto, Michael Fioretto, Garrett Greaves, and Cady McGehee, with coaches Chris Holcomb and Dianne Spann. Placing in the top five teams were Wisconsin, third, Pennsylvania, fourth, and Maryland, fifth.
Senior division (ages 16-21) finalists consisted of Illinois and New York, with Illinois emerging as champion. The team was made up of Sarah Duncan, Emily Irwin, Dylan Reed, and Ryan Sheehan, with John Mitchell, Becky Meier, and Glen Meier as coaches. The second place team, New York, consisted of Allison Herrick, Emily Lampson, Alton Rudgers, and Tracey Rudgers, with coach William Herrick. Rounding out the top five teams in the senior competition were Maryland, third, Wisconsin, fourth, and Florida, fifth.
J. George and Anna Smith Sportsmanship Awards
This is the first year for the Sportsmanship Awards established by J. George and Anna Smith, who named the Holstein Foundation as a beneficiary of their charitable remainder trust. The Smiths founded Rock-I farm in the early 1940s in Oswego, Illinois. J. George Smith was a National Distinguished Junior member finalist in 1935 and served as a director of Holstein Association USA. Anna Smith was a 4-H leader for over 25 years.
In the heat of competition, it is important for teams to maintain sportsmanlike conduct. One team in each division is given an award for exemplifying the principles of courtesy, friendliness, and team spirit. The junior division team that best displayed these attributes was Maryland, made up of Todd Allen, Jordyn Griffin, Ryan Allen, and Shelby Iager. They were coached by Carole Doody. Senior division honors went to Iowa, with a team consisting of Sally Hamlett, Royce Demmer, Kaleb Kruse, and Ethan Hammerand. They were coached by Jeff Hammerand.
Dairy Knowledge
The Dairy Knowledge exam attracted more than 170 participants, who tested their knowledge with a 25-question written test. It is open to any youth, without pre-registration. Participants are given one of two tests, depending on their age. The winners of each age division were:
Junior Division
1st Siana Barrett, California
2nd Mackenzie Elmer, California
3rd Haley Fernandes, California
Senior Division
1st Alex Gambonini, California;
2nd Sarah Duncan, Illinois
3rd Cody Getschel, Wisconsin
Dairy Jeopardy
More than 70 participants, broken into three divisions, competed in Dairy Jeopardy. Based on the popular TV game show, youth compete individually, answering dairy industry-related questions and wagering points, testing not only their industry knowledge but their critical thinking and risk management skills. The top three individuals in each division were:
Junior Division
1st Caroline Arrowsmith, Pennsylvania
2nd Siana Barrett, California
3rd Blake Wright, Missouri
Intermediate Division
1st Nathan Arthur, Iowa
2nd Logan Potts, Virginia
3rd Alex Gambonini, California
Senior Division
1st Travis Holtzinger, Pennsylvania
2nd Elizabeth Endres, Wisconsin
3rd Amber Gabel, Pennsylvania
7.3.2015