Submitted: Awards announced for Portage County 4-H Life Skills projects

Portage County recently celebrated the achievements of its 4-H youth participants at the Portage County 4-H Life Skills Awards at the conclusion of judging for the Life Skills Projects in July. The awards recognize the exceptional dedication and hard work of the county’s 4-H members.

The Life Skills Projects covered diverse categories, including food and nutrition, creative arts, STEM, natural resources, health, woodworking, photography, personal finance, welding, workforce preparation, veterinary science, shooting sports, and more! Winners marked as State Fair Delegates will represent Portage County at the Ohio State Fair.

2025 Portage County 4-H Life Skills Project Awards

You’re The Athlete

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Taylin Shannon, Portage Explorers 4-H Club

Your Feelings Matter

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Elijah Brewer, Creatures-N-Features 4-H Club

Superhero You

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Paul Jordan, Edinburg Seambusters 4-H Club

Cake Decorating – Beginner

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Evelyn Hartney, Kitchen Crew 4-H Club
• 2nd Place & State Fair Alternate: April Hollingshead, Creatures-N-Features 4-H Club
• 3rd Place: Saidie Zappie, Clover Country 4-H Club
• Honorable Mention: Nashua Smolk, Kitchen Crew 4-H Club

Cake Decorating – Intermediate

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Rylan Lipply, Royal Equestrians 4-H Club

Scrapbooking – Senior

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Violet Reese, Critter Getters 4-H Club

Self-Determined Creative Arts

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Kenley Shannon, Portage Explorers 4-H Club
• 2nd Place & State Fair Alternate: Abigail Ewell, Stablemates 4-H Club
• 3rd Place: Helyn Willis, Everything Under the Sun 4-H Club

Exploring Personal Finance

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Rowyn McPeak, Edinburg Seambusters 4-H Club
• 2nd Place & State Fair Alternate: Tycho Smolk, Kitchen Crew 4-H Club

Purr-fect Pals Level 1 (ages 8-10)

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Katherine Hovancsek, Portage Explorers 4-H Club

Purr-fect Pals Level 1 (ages 11-13)

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Benjamin Hovancsek, Portage Explorers 4-H Club

Climbing Up Level 2 (ages 14-18)

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Alexis Huffman, Creatures-N-Features 4-H Club
• 2nd Place & State Fair Alternate: Violet Reese, Critter Getters 4-H Club

Pet Rabbits (ages 8-10)

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Madison Lohry, Royal Equestrians 4-H Club

Pet Rabbits (ages 11-13)

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Rowyn McPeak, Edinburg Seambusters 4-H Club

Reptiles and Amphibians

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Kayla Koher, Creatures-N-Features 4-H Club
• 2nd Place & State Fair Alternate: Teigan Anderson, Creatures-N-Features 4-H Club

All About Dogs (ages 8-10)

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Mahaley Cioffi, Portage County Unleashed 4-H Club
• 2nd Place & State Fair Alternate: Clara Cioffi, Portage County Unleashed 4-H Club

All Systems Go! – Veterinary Sciences

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Alexis Huffman, Creatures-N-Features 4-H Club

On The Cutting Edge – Veterinary Sciences

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Brooke Dixon, Portage County Unleashed 4-H Club

Arcs and Sparks

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Samuel Evans, Everything Under the Sun 4-H Club
• 2nd Place & State Fair Alternate: Boaz Bollenbacher, Everything Under the Sun 4-H Club

Rockets Away, 2-liter bottles

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Ryan Jordan, Edinburg Seambusters 4-H Club

Rockets Away Solid Fuel Rockets

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Paul Jordan, Edinburg Seambusters 4-H Club
• 2nd Place & State Fair Alternate: Jacob King, Creatures-N-Features 4-H Club

Wheels in Motion

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Lucas Swires, Paris Pals 4-H Club

Robotics Master

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Corey Galloway, Kitchen Crew 4-H Club

Magic of Electricity

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Greyson Brewer, Creatures-N-Features 4-H Club
• 2nd Place & State Fair Alternate: Grant Harnar, Paris Pals 4-H Club

Crank it Up

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Sammy Harnar, Paris Pals 4-H Club
• 2nd Place & State Fair Alternate: Elliot Ledford, Creatures-N-Features 4-H Club
• 3rd Place: Jerry Hoffman, Portage County Rangers & Henry Lenke, Creatures-N-Features 4-H Club

Warm it Up

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Xavier Miller, Kitchen Crew 4-H Club

Self-Determined STEM

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Jacob Evans, Everything Under the Sun 4-H Club
• 2nd Place & State Fair Alternate: Gabriella Smith, Royal Equestrians 4-H Club

Focus on Photography

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Isaac Hartney, Kitchen Crew 4-H Club
• 2nd Place & State Fair Alternate: Carolyn Deckerd, Everything Under the Sun 4-H Club

Insect Adventures 1

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Tyler Evans, Everything Under the Sun 4-H Club

Outdoor Adventure: Beginning Fishing

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Greyson Brewer, Creatures-N-Features 4-H Club
• 2nd Place & State Fair Alternate: Joey Shanahan, Edinburg Seambusters 4-H Club

Outdoor Adventure: Intermediate Fishing

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: David Bollenbacher, Everything Under the Sun 4-H Club

Why Trees Matter

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Sarah Willis, Everything Under the Sun 4-H Club

Ohio Birds, 1st Year

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Riley Kirk, Creatures-N-Features 4-H Club

Trapping Muskrats in Ohio

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Colton Easton, Creatures-N-Features 4-H Club

Grow Your Own Vegetables – Junior

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Phoebe Schmader, Everything Under the Sun 4-H Club

Canning and Freezing

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Christa Bollenbacher, Everything Under the Sun 4-H Club

Self-determined Natural Resources

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Molly Nelson, Everything Under the Sun 4-H Club

Yeast Breads on the Rise

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Alex Adkins, Creatures-N-Features 4-H Club

Global Gourmet

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Eli Ball, Royal Equestrians 4-H Club

Let’s Bake Quick Breads – Junior

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Riley Huffman, Creatures-N-Features 4-H Club

Racing the Clock to Awesome Meals – Senior

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Teigan Anderson, Creatures-N-Features 4-H Club

Star Spangled Foods

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Samantha Smolk Jr., Kitchen Crew 4-H Club

Sports Nutrition: Ready, Set, Go – Senior

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Edward Pralea, Royal Equestrians 4-H Club

Let’s Start Cooking – Junior

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Elijah Brewer, Creatures-N-Features 4-H Club
• 2nd Place & State Fair Alternate: April Hollingshead, Creatures-N-Features 4-H Club

Take a Break for Breakfast – Junior

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Reese Adkins, Creatures-N-Features 4-H Club

Take a Break for Breakfast – Senior

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Abigail Bollenbacher, Everything Under the Sun 4-H Club

Everyday Food and Fitness Junior

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Zay Mong, Kitchen Crew 4-H Club

Makeover My Space – Junior

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Kayla Koher, Creatures-N-Features 4-H Club
• 2nd Place & State Fair Alternate: Cora Riemenschneider, Edinburg Seambusters 4-H Club

Here, There, Ag Careers Are Everywhere

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Alexis Huffman, Creatures-N-Features 4-H Club

Self-Determined – Workforce Preparation

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Phoenix Swanner, Kitchen Crew 4-H Club

Rifle – Junior

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Colton Easton, Portage County Rangers 4-H Club
• 2nd Place & State Fair Alternate: Mason Anderson, Portage County Rangers 4-H Club
• 3rd Place: Dawson Ewell, Portage County Rangers 4-H Club

Rifle – Senior

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Austin Broman, Portage County Rangers 4-H Club
• 2nd Place & State Fair Alternate: Kolton Broman, Portage County Rangers 4-H Club

Archery – Junior

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Audrey Broman, Portage County Rangers 4-H Club
• State Alternate: Hunter Adelman, Portage County Rangers 4-H Club
• 3rd Place: Wyatt Plymale, Portage County Rangers 4-H Club

Archery – Senior

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Samuel Evans, Portage County Rangers 4-H Club
• 2nd Place & State Fair Alternate: Abigail Ewell, Portage County Rangers 4-H Club
• Honorable Mention: Joey Shanahan, Portage County Rangers 4-H Club

Pistol – Junior

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Tyler Evans, Portage County Rangers 4-H Club
• 2nd Place & State Fair Alternate: Jerry Hoffman, Portage County Rangers 4-H Club
• 3rd Place: Jacob Evans, Portage County Rangers 4-H Club

Pistol – Senior

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Olivia Dix, Portage County Rangers 4-H Club
• 2nd Place & State Fair Alternate: Brenna Sampson, Portage County Rangers 4-H Club
• 3rd Place: Julia Shanahan, Portage County Rangers 4-H Club
• 4th Place: Austin Broman, Portage County Rangers 4-H Club
• 5th Place: Samuel Evans, Portage County Rangers 4-H Club
• 6th Place: Evan Plymale, Portage County Rangers 4-H Club

Shotgun – Junior

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Cooper Hayes, Portage County Rangers 4-H Club

Shotgun – Senior

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Kolton Broman, Portage County Rangers 4-H Club

Hunting

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Riley Kirk, Portage County Rangers 4-H Club
• 2nd Place & State Fair Alternate: Dawson Ewell, Portage County Rangers 4-H Club
• 3rd Place: Gunner Casteel, Portage County Rangers 4-H Club
• 4th Place: Abigail Ewell, Portage County Rangers 4-H Club

Measuring Up

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Lilly Boso, Portage County Unleashed 4-H Club

Making the Cut – Junior

• Honorable Mention: Levi Bolen, Paris Pals 4-H Club

Self-Determined

• 1st Place & State Fair Delegate: Kase Heasley, Edinburg Seambusters 4-H Club
• 2nd Place & State Fair Alternate: Dawson Ewell, Stablemates 4-H Club

Tractor Operations: Gearing up for Safety

• 1st Place: Beau Marshall, Everything Under the Sun 4-H Club

Moving Out: Learning about your tractor and farm machinery

• 1st Place: Wyatt Lenke, Creatures-N-Features 4-H Club

Portage County 4-H Life Skills Projects will be displayed at the upcoming 2025 Portage County Randolph Fair. The fair provides an excellent opportunity for family, friends, and community members to appreciate the work these young 4-H members have accomplished.

The success of the Life Skills judging and the participation of so many talented youth underscore the continued importance of 4-H initiatives in fostering personal growth, leadership, and community involvement.

For more information about the projects or joining 4-H contact the Portage County Extension Office at 330-296-6432 or portage.osu.edu/program-areas/4-h-youth-development