Young dairy enthusiasts from across the country recently put their dairy knowledge to the test during the Holstein Foundation’s national youth competitions. The contests were held in Lexington, Kentucky as part of the 2023 National Holstein Convention from June 23 to June 27.
“The competitions offered by the Holstein Foundation help youth develop lifelong skills, such as critical thinking, problem solving, decision making, public speaking and more,” says Diedra Harkenrider, Director of Development of the Holstein Foundation. “It’s fun to watch youth grow and develop new friendships with others in the dairy community throughout the convention as well.”
Dairy Jeopardy
Sixty-five contestants from 18 different states competed in the Dairy Jeopardy competition. The contest is based on the popular television game show and features a wide range of dairy-related questions in numerous categories. The following are the top three individuals in each age division.
Junior Division (ages 9 to 13)
1st: Trey Daubert, Virginia
2nd: Dominic Hammerand, Iowa
3rd: Kenley Rhodes, Virginia
Intermediate Division (ages 14 to 17)
1st: Jace Buttars, Utah
2nd: Jillian Anderson, Pennsylvania
3rd: Jacob Bramm, Pennsylvania
Senior Division (ages 18 to 21)
1st: Victoria Paolini, California
2nd: Makayla Hoell, North Carolina
3rd: Kelsey Hardy, Wisconsin
Dairy Bowl
In the National Dairy Bowl contest, four-person teams compete within two age divisions: Junior, ages 9-15, and Senior, ages 16-21. The competition was intense this year, with 11 senior and 14 junior teams competing.
Facing off in the Junior Division championship match were the teams from New York and Illinois. Taking home the champion rosettes was the Illinois team with members Alaina Dinderman, Drew Lueking, Kyle Ainger, and Evan Beal.
Competing on the New York team were Josiah Freier, Abigail Freier, Noah Lovell, and Alexis Schultz. Rounding out the top five Junior Dairy Bowl teams were Wisconsin in third, California in fourth, and Iowa in fifth place.
Pennsylvania and New York vied for the first-place title in the Senior Division. Members of the winning New York team included Gabriella Taylor, George Andrew Jr., Annika Donlick, and Elsie Donlick.
On the second-place Senior team from Pennsylvania were Kristen Houser, Jordan Anderson, Faith Wolfe, and Alex Coursen. The team from Virginia took home third place, with Utah following in fourth and New Jersey in fifth.
J. George & Anna Smith Sportsmanship awards are given to one Dairy Bowl team in each division who best exemplify the principles of courtesy, friendliness, and team spirit throughout the competition. Each team receives a cash award and plaque. In the Junior Division, the award was presented to the New England team, consisting of members Dominic Crochier, Erin Judd, Savannah Judd, and William Bullard. In the Senior Division, the honor went to the team from Wisconsin with members Clarissa Ulness, Garrett Ulness, Lauren Siemers, and Brianna Meyer.
Dairy Knowledge Exam
The Dairy Knowledge Exam is open to any youth attending the National Junior Holstein Convention who wants to challenge their dairy expertise with a 25-question written test. Like Dairy Bowl, youth are divided into two groups by age. The top three individuals in each division for the Dairy Knowledge Exam were as follows.
Junior Division
1st: Logan Harbaugh, Wisconsin
2nd: Noah Lovell, New York
3rd: Alaina Dinderman, Illinois
Senior Division
1st: Annika Donlick, New York
2nd: Alex Coursen, Pennsylvania
3rd: Elsie Donlick, New York
Congratulations to all the contestants who participated and found success during the 2023 National Holstein Convention! For more information about Holstein Foundation youth programs, visit www.holsteinfoundation.org, or contact Diedra Harkenrider, Director of Development of the Holstein Foundation and Holstein Association USA, at [email protected].