Wisconsin youth take 3 of 4 first place finishes in Youth Fitting Contest at WDE
Colleen Kottke
The Youth Fitting Contest kicked of World Dairy Expo 2021 events on Sunday, Sept. 26 at the Alliant Energy Center.
Thirty-seven youth participants represented nine U.S. States, and one Canadian Province. These contestants, ranging in age from 13-21, were allotted 60 minutes to prepare their animal to be show-quality ready. Judging the Youth Fitting Contest was Jason Danhof, professional fitter and dairy cattle genetics merchandiser from Waukon, Iowa.
Jasenko Gavranovic, New Ulm, Minnesota, was presented the Overall Fitter Award after topping the Senior Male Division. Dana Johnson, Tomah, Wisconsin, was the top finisher in the Senior Female Division, on the heels of her win at the intermediate level at the last WDE.
The first-place finishers in the Intermediate Male and Female Divisions, Payton Calvert, Cuba City, Wisconsin and Alexis Blankenberg, Platteville, Wisconsin, respectively.
Placings for the Youth Fitting Contest are as follows:
Intermediate Male Division: Payton Calvert, Cuba City, Wis., 1; Nathan Rumovicz, New Berlin, N.Y., 2; Joseph Achen, Little Falls, Minn., 3; Mason Ziemba, Durhamville, N.Y., 4; and Wesley Winch, Fennimore, Wis., 5.
Intermediate Female Division: Alexis Blankenberg, Platteville, Wis., 1; Adhyn Schell, Lewiston, Minn., 2; Ellie Larson, Evansville, Wis., 3; Jamie Gibbs, Rollingstone, Minn., 4; Shelby Knoble, Lancaster, Wis., 5.
Senior Female Division: Dana Johnson, Tomah, Wis., 1; Cassie Gebert, Wawaka, Ind., 2; Brooke Hammann, Barron, Wis., 3; Haley Beukema, New Richmond, Wis., 4; and Sophie Leach, Linwood, Kan., 5.
Senior Male Division: Jasenko Gavranovic, New Ulm, Minn., 1; Robert Nagel, Clymer, N.Y., 2; Dillon Freeman, Bremen, Ind., 3; Keenan Thygesen, Tunbridge, Vt., 4; and Jordan Hawthorne, Listowel, Ontario, Canada.