Dawson County 4-H senior quiz bowl team wins champion title at Premier Animal Science Event, earns spot at Nationals
These Dawson County 4-H’ers recently participated in the Animal Welfare event for the first time and won first place at the Premier Animal Science Event at UNL. Front row (left to right): Megan Walahoski, Blair Caraway, Clay Terrell, Owen Lassen, Grant Walahoski. Back row: Kathleen Lodl, UNL 4-H program leader; Dani Forster, UNL Extension graduate advisor; Mary Drewnoski, UNL Professor and beef systems extension specialist; Brent Johnson, UNL Livestock and building operations manager; Debra Root, UNL ag research technician; and Thomas Burkey, UNL professor and interim CASNR Dean.
The Dawson County intermediate quiz bowl team 1 show off their banners after earning champion honors at the Premier Animal Science event at UNL. Pictured (left to right): Coach Shannon Peterson, Gothenburg; Clay Terrell, Gothenburg; Grant Walahoski, Overton; and Owen Lassen, Overton.
Earning the championship in the senior division of the Quiz Bowl team competition were (left to right): Matthew Rhoades, Cozad; Brooklyn Reiman, Cozad; Paige Walahoski, Overton; and Bristol McConville, Lexington. They won a spot at the National competition in the fall.
Winning reserve champion honors at PASE were the members of the Dawson County senior quiz bowl team 2. Pictured (left to right): Coach Shannon Peterson, Gothenburg; Meagan Lassen, Overton; Kadie Anderson, Gothenburg; and Cassidy Reiman, Cozad.
Pictured (left to right): Megan Walahoski, Overton; Coach Shannon Peterson, Gothenburg; Anna Dillon, Cozad; Gabby Caraway, Lexington; and Kamrynn Rhoades, Cozad; make up the reserve champion intermediate division Quiz Bowl team for Dawson County at PASE in Lincoln.
The Dawson County junior division quiz bowl team bring home first place banners at PASE at UNL. Pictured (left to right): Coach Shannon Peterson, Gothenburg: Parker Caraway, Lexington; Riggs McConville, Lexington; Tucker Dailey, Lexington; Nora Reiman, Cozad; and Maddie Anderson, Gothenburg.
Left to right: Samual Winter, Cozad; Rieker Spradlin, Cozad; Greta Rickertsen, Lexington; and Abby Negley, Gothenburg; make up the Skillathon senior team at the Premier Animal Science Event held recently in Lincoln. They accumulated a total score of 372 for eighth place.
The University of Nebraska’s East Campus in Lincoln was the site of the 2026 4-H Premier Animal Science Event.
4-H’ers from across the state gathered to compete in several livestock events.
Thirty Dawson County 4-H’ers participated and brought home seven team championships, and a host of individual awards.
MEATS JUDGING
Individually, Dawson County had some of its own 4-H’ers place in the top ten for the meats judging event.
In the senior division, Matthew Rhoades of Cozad won seventh place with a stellar score of 454, and Meagan Lassen of Overton placed ninth with an equally stellar score of 448.
The intermediate team 1 took fifth place in the meats judging competition with a score of 1053.
The intermediate team 2 followed close behind team 1 with earning sixth place and scored 1031.
The senior meats judging team was the champion in their division with a score of 1421.
The senior team consisted of Matthew Rhoades, Cozad; Greta Rickertsen, Lexington; Lorelai Rickertsen, Lexington; Meagan Lassen, Overton; Paige Walahoski, Overton and Bristol McConville, Lexington.
Paige had the third highest score for her senior team with a score of 495 and Greta earned fifth highest with a 479.
The intermediate team 1 of Gabby Caraway, Lexington; Grant Walahoski, Overton; and Megan Walahoski, Overton; earned fifth place and the intermediate team 2 of Owen Lassen, Overton; Alexandra Rickertsen, Lexington; and Clay Terrell, Gothenburg; won sixth place.
The contest consists of retail meat cut identification, judging classes, and a test of food safety knowledge.
The Dawson County 4-H Meats team coach is Curt Rickertsen of Lexington.
QUIZ BOWL
The junior Dawson County Quiz bowl team won first place, consisting of Maddy Anderson, Gothenburg; Parker Caraway, Lexington; Tucker Dailey, Lexington; Riggs McConville, Lexington; and Nora Reiman, Cozad.
The Dawson County intermediate quiz bowl team 1 took home the champion honors. The team consisted of Owen Lassen, Overton; Clay Terrell, Gothenburg; and Grant Walahoski, Overton.
The second Dawson County intermediate quiz bowl team won the reserve championship.
Their members were Gabby Caraway, Lexington; Anna Dillon, Cozad; Kamrynn Rhoades, Cozad; Grant Walahoski, Overton; and Megan Walahoski, Overton.
The third Dawson County intermediate team of Emma Knust, Gothenburg; Mckenna Reiman, Cozad; Lillee Voss, Lexington; and Cadey Wolf, Cozad; won in their first match against Frontier and then in the second round won against Saunders County and lost in the third round to Hamilton County.
The senior Dawson County Quiz bowl team 1 won the championship and consisted of Bristol McConville, Lexington; Brooklyn Reiman, Cozad; Matthew Rhoades, Cozad and Paige Walahoski, Overton.
They earned a trip to the National Quiz Bowl competition in the fall.
The second senior Dawson County team won the reserve championship, and their members included Kadie Anderson, Gothenburg; Meagan Lassen, Overton; and Cassidy Reiman, Cozad.
SKILLATHON
The senior Dawson County Skillathon team earned eighth place with a score of 3726.
Their team members included Abby Negley, Gothenburg; Greta Rickertsen, Lexington; Rieker Spradlin, Cozad; and Samual Winter, Cozad.
ANIMAL WELFARE
For the first time an intermediate division team from Dawson County competed in the Animal Welfare contest.
The team won first place, and consisted of Gabby Caraway, Lexington; Clay Terrell, Gothenburg; Owen Lassen, Overton; Grant Walahoski, Overton; and Megan Walahoski, Overton.
It is an educational, competitive event where youth evaluate, and rank groups of animals based on welfare standards.
Participants assessed factors such as physical condition, behavior, and environmental conditions, applying industry and science-based welfare principles. They then explain the reasons to the judges.
LIVESTOCK JUDGING
The Dawson/Phelps/Gosper senior livestock judging participants were Meagan Lassen, Overton; Paige Walahoski, Overton; and Bristol McConville, Lexington.
These 4-H’ers joined with Brodie Heying, Kylee Odell, and Lilly Helms from the Phelps/Gosper 4-H group to participate in the team competition.
The group earned 18th place in overall cattle category; ninth place as a team overall; 10th place in reasons category; eighth place in sheep and goats category; and 15th place in the swine category.
Team members on the intermediate livestock judging team were Gabby Caraway, Lexington; Owen Lassen, Overton; Clay Terrell, Gothenburg; Grant Walahoski, Overton; and Megan Walahoski, Overton.
These 4-H’ers were joined by Abby Helms and Kahlia Killough from the Phelps/Gosper 4-H group to participate as a team.
The Dawson/Phelps/Gosper intermediate team 1 of Owen Lassen, Clay Terrell, Megan Walahoski, and Grant Walahoski were third in the reasons category; third as a team overall; seventh in sheep and goats; second in the cattle category; and second in the swine category.
Individually, Owen Lassen placed first in cattle overall category, second in reasons category; second in high individual overall and first in swine category.
The Dawson/Phelps/Gosper intermediate team 2 of Gabby Caraway, Kahlia Killough, and Abby Helms took 10th in cattle overall, ninth in high team overall, 10th in sheep and goats; 10th in the swine category.
Individually, Kahlia Killough placed 10th in high individual overall, fourth in sheep and goats and 10th in swine.
Team members on the junior livestock judging team were Parker Caraway and Kadynce Killough, who participated individually.
Kadynce placed first in sheep and goats category, and Parker received 10th in cattle overall.
The coaches of both the senior and intermediate livestock judging teams were Eric Miller of Cozad; and Tigh Renken of Bertrand.
