News : Benton County 4-Hers Excel at 2025 State Livestock Triathlon

Note: Photo captions are at the end of the article.

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Nineteen members of the Benton County 4-H Livestock Skills interest group had a highly successful weekend participating in the 2025 Iowa 4-H Livestock Triathlon in Ames. Held on the campus of Iowa State University, the Triathlon was a two-day event featuring competitions in Livestock Quiz Bowl, Skillathon, and Judging.

Benton County's Junior Quiz Bowl team came home with state champion honors. The winning team consisted of William Geiger, Madeline Olson, Parker Priebe, Landon Stein, and Jack Wayson. Individually, William Geiger was the High Individual in the Junior Quiz Bowl division and Jillian Hanson was 2nd individual in the Senior Quiz Bowl competition.

The Senior Livestock Judging Team of Makenna Burmeister, Jillian Hanson, Jack Hartkemeyer, and Rylee Short placed 3rd overall. This placing earns them the opportunity to represent Iowa at a national contest this fall. The same team was second overall in Oral Reasons in Senior Livestock Judging.

Jillian Hanson was High Individual of the Senior Livestock Judging contest and 4th individual in Oral Reasons. Alexandra Zahradnik was 5th individual overall in the Intermediate Livestock Judging Contest and 5th Intermediate in Oral Reasons.

In the Livestock Skillathon competition, Andrew Pingenot was 3rd high Senior individual, and Alexandra Zahradnik was 5th high Intermediate individual.

In the Triathlon results, which combines individual competitors' scores for all three competitions, Jillian Hanson was Reserve Champion overall.

Other Benton County 4-Hers participating in the contests were Reagan Burmeister, Bailey Clark, Caleigh Lewis, Ben Rosauer, Joe Stien, Hannah Siek, Parker Stein, and Emma Wayson.

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Photo Captions

(1) The Benton County 4-H Junior Quiz Bowl team of Landon Stein, Jack Wayson, Madeline Olson, Parker Priebe, and William Geiger won the 2025 Iowa 4-H Junior Livestock Quiz Bowl competition.

(2) William Geiger earned High Individual honors at the 2025 Iowa 4-H Junior Livestock Quiz Bowl competition.

(3) The Benton County 4-H Senior Livestock Judging Team of Jillian Hanson, Rylee Short, Makenna Burmeister and Jack Hartkemeyer earned 3rd place at the 2025 Iowa 4-H Senior Livestock Judging contest.

(4) Jillian Hanson was High Individual in the 2025 Iowa 4-H Senior Livestock Judging contest, 2nd place in the 2025 Iowa 4-H Senior Livestock Quiz Bowl contest, and Reserve Champion overall in the 2025 Iowa 4-H Livestock Triathlon.