The University of Minnesota and Ohio State University Ag Tech each swept the three major dairy cattle judging competitions this year by winning this year's North American International Livestock Exposition's competitions in Louisville, Ky., on November 8 with results being announced the next day.

For the Minnesota team coached by Dr. Les Hanson, this was the third championship in the four-year university division, having won Harrisburg's All American by 15 points; World Dairy Expo by 54 points; and Louisville by 31 points. Making the win even more impressive was the fact the Gopher's Louisville team was comprised of an entirely different team than the two earlier champions.


Crystal Siemers-Peterman paced the Gopher team with a contest high 717. She also won oral reasons, notching 239 points for a 47.8 average as her team also won oral reasons. Teammate Matthew Hanson stood third individual and Mary Liebenstein was fifth. Austin Davis rounded out the Gopher team, placing 19th out of the contests 68 individuals.

In the individual competition, Purdue's Tyler Marker tied Siemers-Peterman with a score of 717. However, Marker stood second due to reasons being the first tiebreaker.

Rounding out the top teams were University of Wisconsin-Madison (second); University of Wisconsin-River Falls (third); Cal Poly (fourth); and Michigan State (fifth).

Ohio State University Ag Tech won by 67 points
First-year coach Don Hange led his Ohio State Ag Tech team to its third win this year, topping the three other teams by a 67-point margin. Last month, that same team won World Dairy Expo by 64 points.

After leading the team at Harrisburg, Hannah Dye once again paced the team scoring 710 points on 10 placings and five sets of reasons. Dye's teammate Tanner Topp, who won Madison, was second at Louisville with a one-point separation between the duo. Kaleb Kliner finished fourth at the North American after placing third at World Dairy Expo and fifth at Harrisburg.

Michigan 4-H wins by 12

Coached by Joe Domecq, the Michigan 4-H team topped the 24 other teams in the contest by 12 points. Pacing the team was second-place individual Maddy Meyer who scored 670 for a 47.9-point average. Teammate Allison Shafer (661) claimed fourth while Cameron Cook (649) stood tenth. The Michigan team also won reasons.

Minnesota's Gabriella Sorg won reasons and was the contest's high individual with a 676 on all 10 placings and four sets of reasons. Sorg scored 191 on reasons for a 47.75 average as her team took second-place honors.

To read results from the NAILE 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl, click here.

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The author is the managing editor, and he brings 19 years of industry leadership to our readers overseeing all editorial content and production of the magazine. His degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison combined dairy science and agricultural economics.