Back row: Danielle Herrick, Abigail Wratten, Blake Wadsworth
New York 4-H has participated in every Dairy Quiz Bowl contest at the North American International Livestock Exposition since the very first, which was held in 1980. They added to their streak with another victory this weekend in Louisville, Ky.
New York 4-H went undefeated in their first four rounds, sending previously undefeated Wisconsin 4-H to the consolation bracket. Wisconsin outlasted the other teams in the consolation bracket to force a rematch against New York 4-H in the finals. At the end of five team questions, 20 toss-up questions, and 20 written test questions, New York 4-H claimed the championship, notching their 15th title in 39 years.
Rounding out the top six teams, Vermont earned third place. Fourth place was Illinois, and honorable mention went to Iowa and Michigan. Seventeen total teams participated in this year’s contest.
In addition to the head-to-head buzzer rounds, a written test was used to seat the teams. Scores from it are also added to the scores in the head-to-head matchups. Additionally, the top scores on the written test are recognized for their individual achievements. The accolades on the written test were spread wide. Seven different states were recognized in the top seven individuals. Here are the top 4-H’ers from Friday’s 50-question written exam.
2. Caroline Kirby, Vermont
3. Danielle Herrick, New York
4. Miriam Cook, Michigan
5. Trenton Hammerand, Iowa
6. Emma Carlson, Illinois
7. Sarah Lehner, Ohio
8. Abigail Wratten, New York
9. Blake Wadsworth, New York
10. Kristi Getschel, Wisconsin
11. Amanda Hicks, Michigan
This dairy bowl contest is organized by extension dairy specialists Donna Amaral-Phillips, University of Kentucky, and Warren Gilson, retired, University of Georgia.
Generous sponsors make the event possible. They include the American Dairy Science Association, National Dairy Shrine, North American International Livestock Exposition, Perdue Agribusiness, Select Sires, and Hoard’s Dairyman.
The author is the online media manager and is responsible for the website, webinars, and social media. A graduate of Modesto Junior College and Fresno State, she was raised on a California dairy and frequently blogs on youth programs and consumer issues.