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Local 4-H Livestock Quiz Bowl team earns top-3 finish at nationals

Benton County 4-H Livestock Quiz Bowl team members pictured with their many awards alongside Coach Maureen Hanson, center, at the 2023 North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Ky. earlier this month. Members include (l-r) Steiger Manson, Josh Wiley, Maureen Hanson, Olivia Hanson, and William Kroneman. PHOTO COURTESY OF OLIVIA HANSON
PHOTO COURTESY OF OLIVIA HANSON
PHOTO COURTESY OF OLIVIA HANSON

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Benton County 4-H Livestock Quiz Bowl team represented Iowa earlier this month at the National 4-H Livestock Quiz Bowl contest held in Louisville, Kentucky with an impressive top-three finish!

Coached by Maureen Hanson, the team has been studying and practicing diligently this past year to not only qualify for the national contest but also to represent Iowa respectably at the contest.

Think of Quiz Bowl like “Livestock Trivia” where teams are asked questions about all things livestock while facing another team with points awarded for both accuracy and speed of answers.

This competition has proven invaluable to Benton County Quiz Bowl members including William Kroneman (Benton Community High School Class of 2024), Steiger Manson (Center Point-Urbana High School Class of 2023), Josh Wiley (Vinton-Shellsburg High School Class of 2023), and Olivia Hanson (Union High School Class of 2024) as they have been able to build a wealth of knowledge about the livestock industry. Such knowledge has enabled each of them to be not only more proficient on their own unique livestock operations but also in the classroom and within other agricultural organizations.

The hard work of these Benton County 4-Hers certainly paid off as they placed third as a team at the national competition. In addition to their top-3 finish, Manson was awarded 10th high individual honors, while Olivia Hanson placed sixth in the nation as an individual.