Released: March 12, 2004

Clay County 4-H Horticulture Team Earns Trip to National Contest

WICHITA, Kan. – Practice may make perfect, but in the case of the Clay County 4-H horticulture judging team that earned top prize in the 2004 state 4-H Horticulture Judging Contest March 6, a little sibling rivalry may have helped, too.

Two of the top-scoring team members, Kim and Gwen Larson, are sisters. Both are members of the Countryside 4-H Club, but Kim’s interest in the horticulture contest, prompted Gwen, who is the older of the two, to revive her interest.

The competition was held in Wichita in conjunction with the Wichita Garden Show.

“Kim demonstrated an early interest in plants,” said Brenda Larson, the girls’ mother and co-coach of the team.

When the family attended one son’s baseball game, Kim, who was two at the time, gathered 20 plants and lined them up on a bleacher bench. Larson, who earned a degree in horticulture from Kansas State University, said she quickly realized that each plant was different.

Nathan Stitt and Claire Unruh, who are both members of the Washington Headliners 4-H Club, also have family connections with the competition. In recent years, Stitt’s sister, Kendra, was a high-scoring competitor in the state contest. Unruh’s mother devotes time as co-coach.

As the top-scoring senior division (ages 14 and up) team with 2,468 points, the Clay County team will compete in the national 4-H horticulture judging contest in Wisconsin in October. Their awards included ergonomic garden trowels and $100 toward travel expenses to the national contest from Gardn’ Wise Distributors.

The Dickinson County team – Justin Howie and Jessie Hoffman, both from the Holland Sunflowers 4-H Club; Laura Janke, from the Carry Creek 4-H Club; Jon Baier, from the Navarre Boosters 4-H Club – placed second with 2,445 points. Volunteer Ila Beemer coached the team.

Butler County Team members – Joel Slater, Jennifer Herring and Aubrey Mitchell, all from the Lily Lake 4-H Club, and Jacob Hadley, from the Heartland 4-H Club, earned third place with 2,396 points. Coach for the Butler County team was Larry Crouse, K-State Research and Extension horticulture agent in the county.

“Two of the team members are new to the competition this year,” Crouse said.

Top-scoring individuals in the senior division were: Jessie Hoffman, Dickinson County, with 910 points for first place; Jennifer Herring, Butler County, with 886 points for second place; and Kim Larson, Clay County, with 841 points for third place.

First place intermediate division (ages 11 to 13) winners were Dickinson County team members Austin Abeldt and Randi England from the Holland Sunflowers 4-H Club; Haylee Steffen, from the Willowdale 4-H Club; and Karl Janke, from the Carry Creek Rustlers 4-H Club with 2,197 points. Their coach was Ila Beemer.

Douglas County team members Jacob Cox and Alex Cox, both from the Eudora 4-H Club; Lacey Hunsinger, from the Vinland 4-H Club, and Joanna Wakeman, from the Kanwaka 4-H Club, earned second place with 2038 points. The team was coached by David Cox.

Harvey County team members Abbey Pomeroy, from the Hesston Wranglers 4-H Club, Sam Schurter, from the Eastlakers 4-H Club, and Tom Gatz and Tanner Gatz, both from the Lucky 13 4-H Club, earned third place with 2030 points. Their coach was Scott Eckert, K-State Research and Extension horticulture agent in the county.

Top-scoring individuals in the intermediate division were Randi England, Dickinson County, with 809 points for first place; Haylee Steffen, Dickinson County, with 771 points for second place, and Jacob Cox, Douglas County, with 720 points for third place.

For more information on the 4-H horticulture project or any of the more than 30 other educational opportunities open to students ages seven and up, contact the county K-State Research and Extension office or check the state 4-H Web site: www.oznet.ksu.edu/4hyd/

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K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.

Story by:
Nancy Peterson
nancyp@oznet.ksu.edu
K-State Research& Extension News