The National 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl contest has been held since 1980, when just seven state teams competed. This weekend in Louisville, Ky., 19 teams from Washington to Georgia and Mississippi to Maine challenged their skills in the areas of dairy nutrition, animal care, dairy products, herd management and much more.
The contest included a 50-point written short-answer exam on Friday evening. Scores were used to seat the teams and points earned on the test were also used in the head-to-head matches the following morning. Teams of four were asked five group questions, where they discuss possible answers between themselves, before the team captain announces the team's unified answer or answers to the question. Once both teams have answered the same group questions, 20 toss-up questions are asked. In this phase, contestants activate their buzzers in order to answer these short answer questions. When three different team members correctly answer a question, a bonus question is offered to just that team. Generally multiple part questions, the team can earn up to 20 points. At the conclusion of the 20 toss-up questions, the scores from the written exam are shared, and when added to the team questions and toss up questions, the winner is determined.
After the conclusion of Saturday's competition, the team from New York won the final match by 20 points after Wisconsin mounted a victory in the sudden death match, forcing a finals rematch.
N.Y. team members were Alton Rudgers, Noah Ives, Erik Shelmidine and Danielle Keller (front right). They are coached by Deborah Grunsenmeyer and Matt Young.
Team captain, Alton Rudgers of Attica, N.Y., has a Jersey background and plans to attend the State University of New York-Cobleskill upon graduation from high school and major in Agricultural Business. He is his FFA's chapter president, a New York 4-H Junior Dairy Leader and is a member of National Honor Society. He also participates in soccer, track and plays the trumpet.
Noah Ives hails from Gilford, N.Y., where his family has Jerseys and Holsteins. He is a freshman at SUNY-Cobleskill, majoring in Agricultural Business. Noah was also a member of the National Honor Society and New York's State Dairy Challenge team. In addition to dairy bowl, Noah judged for New York's 4-H team in Louisville this week, too.
Erik Shelmidine's background is with the Holstein breed. From Belleville, N.Y., he serves as FFA chapter president and is a member of National Honor Society and is a New York State Junior Dairy Leader. Upon graduation from high school, Erik plans to attend college to study Dairy Science.
Danielle Keeler is from Stuyvesant, N.Y., and was raised on a Holstein farm. She was a member of National Honor Society, a Sunday school teacher and volunteers with Habitat for Humanity. Danielle is a freshman at the University of New Haven in Connecticut, with the hopes of working in the criminal investigation field upon graduation.
Coaches Deborah Grunsenmeyer and Matt Young complimented the 2012's contest, "We appreciate the hard work of the contest officials and coordinators. They have a tough job, selecting and the scrutinizing hundreds of questions. It isn't easy."
Wisconsin's second place team included Cody Getschel, Laura Jensen, Colin Scholz and Trent Dado. Their coach is seated between the team members.
Candid shots from the weekend's dairy bowl contest
The contest included a 50-point written short-answer exam on Friday evening. Scores were used to seat the teams and points earned on the test were also used in the head-to-head matches the following morning. Teams of four were asked five group questions, where they discuss possible answers between themselves, before the team captain announces the team's unified answer or answers to the question. Once both teams have answered the same group questions, 20 toss-up questions are asked. In this phase, contestants activate their buzzers in order to answer these short answer questions. When three different team members correctly answer a question, a bonus question is offered to just that team. Generally multiple part questions, the team can earn up to 20 points. At the conclusion of the 20 toss-up questions, the scores from the written exam are shared, and when added to the team questions and toss up questions, the winner is determined.
After the conclusion of Saturday's competition, the team from New York won the final match by 20 points after Wisconsin mounted a victory in the sudden death match, forcing a finals rematch.
N.Y. team members were Alton Rudgers, Noah Ives, Erik Shelmidine and Danielle Keller (front right). They are coached by Deborah Grunsenmeyer and Matt Young.
Team captain, Alton Rudgers of Attica, N.Y., has a Jersey background and plans to attend the State University of New York-Cobleskill upon graduation from high school and major in Agricultural Business. He is his FFA's chapter president, a New York 4-H Junior Dairy Leader and is a member of National Honor Society. He also participates in soccer, track and plays the trumpet.
Noah Ives hails from Gilford, N.Y., where his family has Jerseys and Holsteins. He is a freshman at SUNY-Cobleskill, majoring in Agricultural Business. Noah was also a member of the National Honor Society and New York's State Dairy Challenge team. In addition to dairy bowl, Noah judged for New York's 4-H team in Louisville this week, too.
Erik Shelmidine's background is with the Holstein breed. From Belleville, N.Y., he serves as FFA chapter president and is a member of National Honor Society and is a New York State Junior Dairy Leader. Upon graduation from high school, Erik plans to attend college to study Dairy Science.
Danielle Keeler is from Stuyvesant, N.Y., and was raised on a Holstein farm. She was a member of National Honor Society, a Sunday school teacher and volunteers with Habitat for Humanity. Danielle is a freshman at the University of New Haven in Connecticut, with the hopes of working in the criminal investigation field upon graduation.
Coaches Deborah Grunsenmeyer and Matt Young complimented the 2012's contest, "We appreciate the hard work of the contest officials and coordinators. They have a tough job, selecting and the scrutinizing hundreds of questions. It isn't easy."
