AMES, Iowa – The Dairy Quiz Bowl was back in full swing last month. Teams from Delaware, Dubuque and Fayette counties competed for top honors at Starmont High School in Arlington, Iowa, on June 17 — showcasing their extensive knowledge of dairy production, consumption, anatomy and more. Thirty-five 4-H youth participated in the event.
Along with challenging themselves to answer the difficult questions, senior teams competed for the chance to travel to Louisville, Kentucky, to participate in the National Dairy Quiz Bowl in November. This year, each division winner was also given the honor to take home the traveling plaques in memory of Connie and Sarah Stewart, originally commissioned in 2005, to house them for good. Connie was a Fayette County Dairy Quiz Bowl Team coach. She and her daughter, Sarah, were killed in a plane crash on Easter in 2005. Since then, the plaques, sponsored by the Fayette County Dairy Club, have traveled to the winning county of each division, with a recognition placard. With the plaques now full, they have been retired to the 2021 winners’ counties.
Mike Anderson, state 4-H ag science manager with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, said, “The Dairy Quiz Bowl is an event that encourages youth to learn about dairy production, science and the industry as a whole in a fun, interactive competition. Several of Iowa’s top senior teams over the years have gone on to compete very well at the national contest.”
This year, the competition was especially heated in the junior division, with one match being won by only a five-point margin. Delaware County eventually came out on top. In the intermediate division, Delaware County Team 1 dominated the competition with three handily won matches in a row as they took the championship honors. Finally, in the senior division, it was anybody’s game as Dubuque came back from a first-round loss to compete in the championship against Fayette, who had begun the day with a first-round bye. Fayette ultimately ended up winning the day by an impressive 135-point margin in the final match.
Prior to competition, each participant also completed a written exam. These scores were used to determine the seeding, and also counted toward the final scores of each match. The top scorers in each division were Braden Ronnebaum from Delaware County in the junior division, Natalie Hamlett from Fayette County in the intermediate division, and Louis Hamlett from Fayette County in the senior division. Louis Hamlett was also the top intermediate test taker in 2019.
Top Senior Team – Fayette County: Louis Hamlett, Raegan Kime, Naomi Scott and Harley Baumler; coached by Kathleen Scott and Molly Schmitt. The Fayette County team will represent Iowa at the 2021 National Dairy Quiz Bowl.
Top Intermediate Team – Delaware County Team 1: Alia Domeyer, Haley Ronnebaum, Bianka Ronnebaum and Katherine Comley; coached by Brian Bagge, Josh Thibadeau and Jennifer Zumbach.
Top Junior Team – Delaware County: Braden Ronnebaum, Morgan Hoeger, Logan Voelker and Alison Schulte; coached by Brian Bagge, Josh Thibadeau and Jennifer Zumbach.
Top Test Takers – Braden Ronnebaum, Natalie Hamlett and Louis Hamlett.
For more information on the Iowa 4-H Youth Development program, please contact your ISU Extension and Outreach county office or visit the Iowa 4-H website at www.extension.iastate.edu/4h.
Shareable photos
Fayette Senior Winners: Left to right, Kathleen Scott, Reagan Kime, Louis Hamlett, Naomi Scott, Harley Baumler and Molly Schmitt.
Delaware Intermediate Winners: Left to right, Katherine Comley, Bianka Ronnebaum, Haley Ronnebaum and Alia Domeyer.
Delaware Junior Winners: Front row; Alison Schulte, Logan Voelker, Karl Zumbach (competed with Fayette) and Braden Ronnebaum; back row, Brian Bagge, Morgan Hoeger, Josh Thibadeau and Jennifer Zumbach.
