Illinois 4-H
MEDIA RELEASE
For immediate release 12/17/15
Illinois 4-H places second at national judging contest
A team of Illinois 4-H members earned second place at the National 4-H Livestock Judging Contest held
in conjunction with the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Ky. Team
members included Lauren Burris of Logan County, Jacob Hinshaw of McLean County, Megan
Myerscough of Champaign County, Seyarra Ruddy of Livingston County, Kagney Collins of Livingston
County, and Easton Beard of Knox County.
In addition to their overall finish, the team took third in the swine division, third in the beef division, fifth
in the sheep/goats division, and sixth in oral reasons out of 34 competing state teams. The team was
only four points out of the championship spot.
Ruddy finished seventh overall against 72 individual competitors, with a fifth place finish in beef and a
third place in performance beef. Hinshaw finished ninth overall, with a second place finish in swine, fifth
place in performance beef, and 14th place in oral reasons. Myerscough took the 14th overall award,
finishing eighth in beef, and 16th in sheep/goats.
The team was coached by University of Illinois graduate students Jordan Rauch and Buddy Haas. The
national team was supported with funds provided by the Illinois 4-H Foundation.
“It was a great pleasure to work with this year’s state team,” Rauch said. “The team was comprised of
six young adults with all levels of experience and backgrounds.
“It was very rewarding as a coach to see all six make a lot of progress in their evaluation and oral
reasoning skills since they began practicing in August,” Rauch said. “They are a very driven and
competitive group, and we wish them the best in their futures.”
The National 4-H Livestock Judging Contest is the premier event of education and competition
for youth involved in livestock evaluation programs.
Interested in Joining Knox County 4-H?
801 N. Country Fair Drive, Suite E, Champaign, IL 61821
(217) 333-0910
www.4-H.illinois.edu
University of Illinois * U.S. Department of Agriculture * Local Extension Councils Cooperating
University of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment.
Contact Angel Wright, 4-H Coordinator at 309-342-5108.
About 4-H: Illinois 4-H helps youth learn skills for living. University of Illinois Extension provides 4-H
programs in every county in Illinois. Illinois 4-H impacts the lives of 200,000 youth each year through
sustained learning clubs and groups and short-term programming.
For Further Information Contact: Dan Jennings, U of I Extension Educator, Animal Science, 217-3335269, djjennin@illinois.edu
News Writer: Judy Mae Bingman, Extension Media Communications Specialist, 217-300-2113,
jmbingma@illinois.edu
Cutline for Picture: The Illinois 4-H team earned second place at the National 4-H Livestock Judging
Contest held in conjunction with the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Ky.
Pictured are (front, left to right) Seyarra Ruddy, Megan Myerscough, Lauren Burris, and Kagney Collins;
(back) Jordan Rauch (coach), Jacob Hinshaw, Easton Beard, and Buddy Haas (assistant coach). The team
was supported financially at the national contest by the Illinois 4-H Foundation.