Skillathon winners announced

Seventy-nine youth competed in the Sheep & Wool Skillathon held May 2 at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival:  16 junior, 27 intermediate, and 36 senior.  It was the 5th annual skillathon.  The competition attracted youth from four states and nine Maryland counties.

The first place junior (age 8-10) was Frank Burner from Berkeley County, West Virgina.  Cameron Lefevre, also from Berkeley County, placed second.  Brietta Latham from Frederick County was third.  The first place junior team was the Howard County team composed of Nicole King, Rebecca Herriotts, Lindsay Williams, and Mark Chaney.

The first place intermediate (age 11-13) was Aislinn Latham from Frederick County.  Ryan Hevner from Carroll County placed second. Sarah McGee from Cecil County was third. The first place intermediate team was the St. Mary's/Calvert County team composed of Charlie Sasscer, Will Jones, Jesiah Manning, and Becky Jones. 

The Howard County team placed second.  Team members included Rachel King, Matthew Chaney, and Dean and Audrey Bennett.   The third place intermediate team was the St. Mary's County team composed of Jason and John Fore and Travis and Mary Trossbach.

The first place senior (age 14-18) was Matt Kerner from Queen Anne's County.  David King, also from Queen Anne's County, was second. Brett Bucci from Charles County placed third.  The senior team competition was won by Queen Anne's County. Their team included Matt Kerner and David and Julia King. 

Charles County had the second place senior team.  Their team included James Hancock, Brett and Michael Bucci, and Tyler Thorne.  The Conodoguinet County team from Pennsylvania placed third. Team members included Benjamin and Hannah Jackson, Benjamin Shughart, and Chris Toevs.

The 2010 skillathon included breed identification, equipment identification, feed and forage identification, meat identification, hay judging, sheep judging (Blueface Leicester yearling ewes), fleece judging, a written test, a senior team problem, and a "pot luck" category.

The Maryland Sheep Breeders Association (Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival Committee) provided ribbons and premiums to the top ten individuals in each age category and Festival t-shirts to members of the top three teams in each age category.  Additional prizes were donated by D-S Livestock Equipment,  Sydell, and the University of Maryland Small Ruminant Extension Program.

Special thanks is extended to Greene's Lamb for provided discount food coupons, to Rupersburger & Sons for providing lamb, to City Grafx for providing table numbers, and to all the Extension faculty and staff, parents, and volunteers who helped with the skillathon.