Posted: July 1, 2025
Pennsylvania 4-H'ers from around the state recently competed in the 4-H Animal Science Bowl and Skillathon Day that took place on Penn State’s University Park campus. The event hosted youth ages 10–18 who participated in various events, including dairy bowl, horse bowl, hippology contest, livestock skillathon, and rabbit and cavy bowl and skillathon.
First-place prize winners in the Rabbit and Cavy Bowl
"This is an opportunity for youth to deepen their knowledge of their 4-H project interest area," said Kirsten Dubbs, Penn State Extension 4-H animal science program specialist. "They're learning about all different aspects of animal science related to a particular species and using that information in the contest."
In these events, youth apply knowledge related to animal care and ownership; animal health and biosecurity, quality assurance and food safety; animal housing and facilities; ethics and communication; and other topics.
During skillathons, youth put animal science knowledge into practice to make identifications and solve problems related to specific species and types of animals.
Bowls likewise provide an opportunity to showcase and expand animal science knowledge. Youth study educational resources and compete in rounds of questions.
Junior participants are 10–13 years old, while senior competitors range from 14 to 18 years old.
In the dairy bowl, first place went to the senior team of Aiden Balmer, Alan Espenshade, Alexandra Hoffman, and Lathyn Stern, of Lancaster County. The winning junior team, also from Lancaster County, included Ethan Hoffman, Marcus Ortiz, and Sasha Ortiz.
In the hippology contest, the first-place senior team was from Berks County: Natalee Fryer, Megan Salamone, Angelina Shumaker and Kamryn Witman. Shumaker also placed first individually. In the junior division, the winning team consisted of Ava Adams, Hailey Adams, Ashlynn Barrick, and Elisa Rawlings, of Cumberland County. Makayla Burket, of Lawrence County, earned top individual honors.
In the horse bowl, the team of Madison Anderson, Ashlynn Kimmy, Taylor Mellish, and Drew McGraw, of Erie and Lawrence counties, won the senior division. The first-place junior team included Quinn Smith, of Beaver County, Lauren Mellish, of Erie County, Ellie Kozak, of Indiana County, and Jaesa McGraw, of Lawrence County.
In the livestock skillathon, the senior team from Huntingdon County — John Eaken, Cody Flasher, Sheridan McGargle, and Catherine Sklenar — earned first place. Cambell Lewis, of Lancaster County, was the top senior individual. The junior team from Huntingdon County — Elliot Bard, Russell Bard, Corinne Bookhammer and Sawyer Werner — took first place, with Russell Bard also earning the top individual score.
First place in the rabbit and cavy bowl went to a team from Washington and Westmoreland counties: Cailin Knopp, Molly Davis, and Sara Forry. In the skillathon, Emma Kennerknecht, of Crawford County, was the top senior individual, while Austin Stutler, of Bucks County, led the junior individual rankings.
Dubbs noted that many of these contests offer senior participants the chance to qualify for various national competitions.
Administered in Pennsylvania by Penn State Extension, 4-H is a nonformal educational youth-development program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that helps young people develop knowledge and skills to become capable, caring, and contributing citizens. To find your local program, visit the Pennsylvania 4-H website.
