Twenty Austin County 4-H members qualified for the 2026 Texas 4-H Roundup, which will take place June 2โ5 in College Station on the Texas A&M University campus. The annual event brings together thousands of 4-H students from across Texas to compete in contests focused on leadership, agriculture, public speaking, photography, consumer sciences, shooting sports, and more.
For many of these students, qualifying for State Roundup represents months of practice, preparation, and hard work. From studying livestock and perfecting presentations to spending countless hours on the shooting range or behind a camera lens, the competition reflects the dedication these students bring to their projects throughout the year.
Austin Countyโs photography competitors had an especially impressive showing at district competition, with all three students placing first in their categories. Kaesee Brune qualified in Long Exposure, Animal-Domestic, and Catch-All categories. Elaina Shupak advanced in Details & Macro, People, and Shadow/Silhouette, while Brady Svinky qualified in Animals-Wildlife, Landscape & Nature, Leading Line, and Motion/Action.
The Austin County Rifle Team, coached by Brian Gardner and Michael Svinky, earned first place at district competition. Team members advancing to state include Brady Svinky, who also earned High Point Individual honors, along with Ryleigh Davenport, Jake Forrester, and Case Eckermann.
Katie Schumann secured her place at State Roundup with a first-place finish in Public Speaking, while Grace Lischka advanced in Educational Presentation after earning second place at district.
Austin Countyโs Livestock Judging Team, coached by Craig Melton, also captured first place at district. Students advancing to state include Darcy Luedke, Levi Malinowski, Teaghan Eckelberg and Paisley Miller, who earned High Point Individual honors.
The Quiz Bowl Team, coached by Janet and Rodney Melnar, earned second place at district competition with Kinley Kokemor, Claire Scheider, Luke Schumann, and Presley Jacob all advancing to the state level.
Austin Countyโs Food Challenge Team, coached by Andrea Krenek, qualified for state after earning third place at district. Team members include Elaina Shupak, Emma Krenek, Charlee Menefee, and Katie Geistmann.
Additional Austin County 4-H members competing in invitational state events include Annabelle Weber in Vet Skill-a-thon and Luke Schumann in Poultry Judging.
The Texas 4-H Roundup is considered the premier statewide event for Texas 4-H members and includes competitions, leadership workshops, scholarship recognitions, and educational activities designed to help students build confidence, teamwork, communication skills, and career readiness.
While the contests themselves are competitive, programs like 4-H are about much more than winning ribbons. They give young people opportunities to grow as leaders, develop responsibility, learn real-world skills, and build friendships that often last a lifetime.
As these students prepare to represent Austin County on the state stage, their accomplishments already reflect the hard work, commitment, and support of families, coaches, volunteers, and the local community that helped them get there.
