This news release is brought to you by:
Kailyn Capps
Austin County Extension Agent
4-H and Youth Development

The Austin County 4-H Livestock Quiz Bowl team has returned home from the Western National
Roundup in Denver, Colorado with a new title – National Champions! To understand what a
valiant effort and achievement this is for participants, it’s necessary to go back to the very
beginning of their journey. Training for livestock quiz bowl begins right here in Austin County
when 4-H members begin learning the livestock resources, studying question data banks, and
understanding how the buzzer system for the game works. Teams, formed and coached by
Janet and Rodney Melnar, then compete at the District 11 contest in Victoria, TX in April. Teams
must place 1st through 3rd to advance and compete in the State 4-H Roundup Livestock Quiz
Bowl Competition that is held in College Station the first week of June. The qualification for the
Western National Roundup is through winning the State 4-H Roundup competition.

 

 

The Western National Roundup Livestock Quiz Bowl Competition is structured into three phases
that are run through a double elimination bracket gaming system. The first phase consists of
three rounds, or twelve “head-to-head” questions where each chair is asked a question,
competing directly against the defending chair sitting across from them. There is no team
discussion allowed during the head-to-head phase. Phase two consists of ten alternating team
questions where a question is asked, team members have ten seconds of discussion, and the
Team Captain buzzes in to answer or defer the answer to another chair on behalf of the team.
Phase three is considered the toss-up round where any competitor can buzz in and answer the
sixteen remaining questions, but they cannot discuss their answers prior to responding. In the
toss-up round, there are bonus questions attached to some questions that, when correctly
answered, earn the team three extra points.

 

 

Austin County 4-H Team members are all Bellville High School Students that are junior grade
level: Katelyn Krenek – Team Captain and Chair One, Madilyn McCullough – Chair Two, Darcy
Luedke – Chair Three, and Katie Schumann – Chair Four. The team flew in on Tuesday, January
7th, and continued studying nonstop with Coach Janet Melnar until contest day on January 9th.
Though knowledgeable of all the species’ resources, each of the team members were
considered experts in specific species areas and were quick to the buzzer during the toss up
rounds when the moderator began a question over their species expertise. Throughout their
multiple games, Team Texas racked up team participation points – two bonus points awarded
when every member of a team has answered a question correctly during phase one or phase
three. Team Texas started in the bracket playing Idaho, moving on to challenge Colorado,
before competing against Alaska and finally Minnesota before reaching the semifinals. The
team from Austin County had already defeated Colorado, sending them into the losers’ bracket,
before meeting them once again in the semifinals. After leading every game by a minimum of
eight points, the energy shifted in the game room and had the audience on pins and needles
when Colorado had the opportunity to answer a bonus question and edged into the lead,
winning Game 18. It was a nail-biting experience for the audience as they watched Austin
County rallying to attempt to win the final, Game 19. The team was ahead by two at the end of
phase three when they heard the moderator announce the final question had a bonus
attached, meaning whoever answered that question correctly could potentially gain four points
in total. The final question would ultimately decide the National Championship. Through
phenomenal gamesmanship coached by Melnar, McCullough buzzed in for the final question,
and a celebration began as Austin County 4-H was named Western National Roundup Livestock
Quiz Bowl Champions. In addition to the team’s success, Katelyn Krenek was named 4th High
Point Individual overall during the awards ceremony, and Madilyn McCullough was named
Champion High Point Individual with her total of 32 points gained being the highest scoring
individual on record for the Western National Roundup Livestock Quiz Bowl Competition.
Congratulations to the Austin County 4-H, District 11 4-H, and Texas 4-H Team on their well-
deserved success in Denver, Colorado.

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