Dawson County 4-H’ers compete in state 4-H Premier Communications event
Thirteen 4-H’ers from Dawson County were among 253 contestants from 53 counties who competed in the 2026 Nebraska 4-H Premier Communications Event held Tuesday and Wednesday, June 16 and 17, in Lincoln.
Youth participated in a variety of contests focused on communication, presentation, and public speaking.
Tucker Dailey, Lexington, placed in the top five in the junior public service announcement division.
Gabby Caraway, also of Lexington, won fifth place in the intermediate division and Paige Walahoski of Overton, earned fourth place in the senior division.
Dawson County 4-H'er Clay Terrell, of Gothenburg, deliveries his speech titled “4-H’s Role in WWII” and earned a purple ribbon in the intermediate division of the prepared speech portion of the contest in Lincoln.
In the junior division (8 to 10 years of age), intermediate division (11 to 13 years of age), and senior division (14 to 18 years of age), speakers were required to prepare an original speech on an aspect relating to their 4-H experience.
In the junior, intermediate and senior radio PSA divisions, 4-H’ers were required to write a 60-second promotional audio recording focused on a yearly theme that could be played on the radio to promote the work of Nebraska 4-H.
The theme for the 2026 PSA division was “Ready Today, Leading Tomorrow.”
Cassidy Reiman, Cozad, was the lone Dawson County 4-H’er who gave her speech titled “4-H: Creating Cattlemen for the Future” in the senior prepared speech division at the state 4-H Premier Communications Event in Lincoln.
4-H’ers who competed in the radio PSA division could also compete in the speech divisions.
The senior PSA medal winners received a $250 scholarship from CASNR, should youth opt to become students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.
In addition, the PSA and the prepared speech medal winners earned a monetary prize from the NE 4-H Foundation.
The intermediate division top five medal winners will receive $50 from the Nebraska 4-H Foundation, and the top five participants in the junior division will also receive an award.
Dawson County results:
In the senior division, a purple ribbon went to Cassidy Reiman of Cozad, with her speech titled “4-H: Creating Cattlemen for the Future." She earned a score of 90.
In the intermediate division, purple ribbons went to Alex Rickertsen of Lexington, with her speech titled “Injuries in 4-H”; Clay Terrell of Gothenburg, with his speech titled “4-H’s Role in WWII”; Grant Walahoski of Overton, with his speech titled “If You Want to Start an Argument in Rural Nebraska”; and Megan Walahoski of Overton, with her speech titled “Learn by Doing … and Redoing."
Megan received a score of 99 and moved to the final round where she ended up receiving fifth place.
In the junior prepared speech division, two purples were brought home by Tucker Dailey of Lexington, with his speech titled “Selecting the Best” and Harlow Rickertsen, also of Lexington, with her speech titled “Can I Build It? Yes, I Can."
Megan Walahoski of Overton, captures the attention of the audience and judges to earn a top five finish with her speech titled “Learn by Doing … and Redoing” in the intermediate prepared speech category at the recent Premier Communications Event in Lincoln.
In the senior PSA division, a purple ribbon went to Paige Walahoski of Overton, with her PSA titled “Take the Mic." Paige was one of the top five individuals and moved onto the finals where she ended up with fourth place.
Overton's Grant Walahoski deliveries his speech titled "If You Want to Start An Argument in Rural Nebraska" during the intermediate division in the prepared speech category at the state 4-H Premier Communications Event in Lincoln.
In the intermediate PSA division, purple ribbons went to Gabby Caraway of Lexington, with her PSA titled “A Confident Future”; Lillee Voss of Lexington, with her PSA titled “Ready Today, Leading Tomorrow”; Grant Walahoski of Overton, with his PSA titled “Build It”; and Megan Walahoski of Overton, with her PSA titled “Don’t Hit Snooze."
A blue ribbon went to Barrett Hunke of Lexington, with his PSA titled “4-H’ers Change the World."
Gabby Caraway was one of five medal winners.
In the junior PSA division, all three Dawson County participants brought home purple ribbons.
Claire Hunke, Lexington, earned a purple with her PSA titled “4-H Makes Good Leaders”; Parker Caraway, Lexington, won a top ribbon with his PSA titled “Ranchers are Leaders Too” and Tucker Dailey, also of Lexington, won purple and also a top five spot with his PSA titled “Blast Off with 4-H."
