BROOKINGS — South Dakota youth once again showed their soil and plant expertise when a South Dakota State University Extension 4-H range judging team won first place at a national contest for …
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BROOKINGS — South Dakota youth once again showed their soil and plant expertise when a South Dakota State University Extension 4-H range judging team won first place at a national contest for 4-H and FFA members.
The Haakon/Bennett County 4-H range judging team won first place at the 2024 National Land and Range Judging Contest held from April 30 to May 2 in El Reno, Oklahoma. Team members include Bennett County’s Emily Zickrick and Haakon County’s Colden Kramer, Ashley Schriever and Tara Schofield.
Individually, Zickrick won first place overall in range judging. Kramer placed fifth, Schriever 10th and Schofield 15th. Also placing in the top 10 in range judging were the Day County 4-H team taking third place and Corson County placing fifth.
Seven 4-H and 11 FFA teams from South Dakota competed in the national contest, which divides teams into the range, land and homesite judging categories. FFA and 4-H teams compete separately in each category. Teams from each state had to win their respective regions to qualify for the national contest.
In the range contest, youth must be able to identify 130 plants and their characteristics and assess a site’s desirability for bobwhite quail and cattle.
Sandy Smart, SDSU Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Senior Program Leader and professor, and Tyler Swan, soil conservationist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, helped students prepare for the range judging contest.
Smart said Oklahoma has few plant species in common with South Dakota, putting the South Dakota teams at a disadvantage.
“It is a lot of work. Teams spent months preparing for this event, including practicing on the unfamiliar Oklahoma terrain in the days leading up to the contest,” Smart said. “Their hard work and dedication paid off on contest day.”
In land judging, contestants evaluate four pits for slope, erosion, permeability, surface runoff, soil texture, depth of soil, determining land class and recommended land treatments. Lance Howe, soil scientist with NRCS, helped the teachers and their students prepare for the contest.
In homesite, contestants evaluate four pits for soil texture, permeability, depth of soil, slope, erosion, surface runoff, shrink-swell, water table and flooding before making a final determination.
The South Dakota teams usually arrive on Saturday and practice Sunday to Wednesday, with the contest on Thursday morning.
When not studying, the students get to tour some of the area’s interesting sites, museums and a favorite ice cream shop.
Complete judging contest results follow.
Haakon/Bennett County 4-H team won first place out of 12 teams with team members (Bennett County) Emily Zickrick and (Haakon County) Colden Kramer, Ashley Schriever and Tara Schofield. Individually, Zickrick won first place overall, Kramer placed fifth, Schriever 10th and Schofield 15th.
Day County 4-H members placed third with team members Bobbi Eide, Caleb Weyh, Caleb Gaikowski and Tigh Gaikowski. Eide placed fourth overall individually, Caleb Gaikowski placed seventh and Weyh placed 13th.
The Lemmon (Corson County) team finished in fifth, with team members Katelyn Gebhart placing 11th overall individually and Shannon Gebhart placing 17th. Other team members were Blake Drayton and Samuel Weishaar.
West Central Ag (Minnehaha County) placed eighth with team members Alex Siemonsma, Stella Siemonsma, Samuel Handburg and Kenasyn Johnson. Alex Siemonsma placed 15th individually.
Webster FFA Range team placed 13th out of 24 teams, with team members Tevin Howder, Dylan Carlson, Brayden Aadland and Coach Fred Zenk.
Kadoka FFA Range team placed 15th with team members Kole Hermann, Tance VanderMay, Ayden Amiotte, Shaylee Porch and Coach Kade Bonenberger.
Wolsey-Wessington FFA Range team placed 17th with team members Harley Roberts, Kate Hamilton, Jett Kleinsasser, Ethan Rearick and Coach Andrew Boersma.
Lennox 4-H Land team placed 11th out of 16 teams, with team members Karin Sweeter, Tyler Strasser, Skyler Plucker, Callie Hammerstrom and Coach Kacey Trocke. Individually, Sweeter placed fifth out of 63 national competitors.
Wessington Springs FFA Land team placed fifth out of 99 teams, with team members Remie Roduner, Carter Gaikowski, Max Klein, Ella Fagerhaug and Coach Brady Duxbury. Max Klien placed first out of 389 national competitors.
Willow Lake FFA Land team placed 30th out of 99 teams, with team members Shelby Anderson, James Poppen, Emmerson Larson and Shay Michalski. Their coach was Dan Tonak.
Tri-Valley FFA Land team placed 31st with team members Landon Schenkel, Tyler Groenewold, Isabella Mack, McKenzie Mack and Coach Tanner Peterson.
Kadoka FFA Land team placed 71st with team members Mason Stilwell, Holden Lottman, Makaylan Bonenberger, Alexandria Madsen and Coach Kaycee Jones.
McCook County 4-H Homesite team placed sixth out of 14 teams, with team members Karlee Klinkammer, Mandi Schock, Zoe Dissing, Kaylee Klinkhammer and Coach Terry Rieckman. Karlee Klinkhammer placed fourth individually and Zoe Dissing placed 12th out of 54 national competitors.
Kadoka FFA Range team placed 15th out of 24 teams. Team members, from left: Kole Hermann, Tance VanderMay, Ayden Amiotte and Shaylee Porch. They were coached by Kade Bonenberger.
De Smet 4-H Homesite team placed 10th out of 14 teams, with team members Tanner Tolzin, Connor Johnson, Logan Nielsen and Coach Dave Vanderwal. Johnson placed third individually.
McCook Central FFA Homesite team placed third out of 58 teams, with team members Antone Krempges, Callie Kaufmann, Avery Alley, Clayten Hoffman and Coach Terry Rieckman. Avery Alley placed 15th and Antone Krempges placed 19th out of 228 national competitors.
Hitchcock-Tulare FFA Homesite team placed 21st, with team members Regan Lutter, Jocelyn Wagner, Rylee Knock, Sienna Stoner and Coach Shane Gross.
De Smet FFA Homesite team placed 26th with team members Gannon Gilligan, Chauncey Driscoll, Breyten Johnson, Chase Temme and Coach Dave Vanderwal.
Lemmon FFA Homesite team placed 43rd with team members Blair Ham, Emma Barnes, Abe Mollman, Brooks Foss and Coach Renae Gebhart.
