Wood County 4-H Honors Members

Wood County 4-H celebrated a year of accomplishments at their annual Awards Ceremony on November 6, 2022.

Club Awards

4-H Club Awards of Excellence went to American Brushpoppers, Belleville, Fairview, Lubeck Lucky Clovers, Sand Hill Explorers, Teen Leaders, and Woodchucks 4-H Clubs. Rebels, Saulsbury, and Sharp Shooters 4-H Clubs received blue ribbon recognition.

National 4-H Week Club Displays: 4-H clubs created displays for the 4-H Open House event to promote the program and recruit new members. The WVU Parkersburg Collegiate 4-H Club received 1st place, Teen Leaders 2nd place, and Lubeck Lucky Clovers 3rd place.

Wood County 4-H clubs nominated outstanding members for the year. Belleville: Evan Banks, Lainey Lewis, Morgan Wicker, Cooley Dixon, and Austen Kinzy. Fairview: Jaxon Swiger, Josiah Swiger, and Anna Smith. Lubeck Lucky Clovers: Jansen Dearth, Olivia Tice, Cameron McLain, Chase Breen, Byron Dearth, and Myah Tice. Rebels: Remi Radcliff, Kay Barrett, Douglas Casto, Evan Kent, and Emily Kent. Sand Hill: Landon Doak and Jennessa Lewellyn. Saulsbury: Nathaniel Blair, Layleigh Fordyce, Jayla Riddle, and Alexis Smith. Sharp Shooters: Levi Watkins, Cooley Dixon, Samantha Thompson, and Alyssa Tennant. Woodchucks: Skylar Hart. Teen Leaders: Cameron Shore and Katie Daley.

Teen Leader Awards

Wood County 4-H Teen Leaders were recognized for their service and leadership. Achievement in Service: Byron Dearth, Jayden Dearth, and Mallory Marks. Achievement in Leadership: Ali Evans, Audrey Sundstrom, and Emma Casto. Outstanding Service Awards: Katie Daley and Tessa Prunty. Outstanding Leadership Awards: Cate Evans, Erin Carmicle, and Hope Prunty.

Community Service Awards

4-H members pledge their hands to larger service in their clubs, community, country and their world. Several members were honored for their service this past year. Helping Hands (ages 5-10): Lillian Kelley, Lainey Lewis, Cheyenne Martin, Cate McLain, Slaton McLain, Caleb Shore, Sara Stoneking, Jaxon Swiger, Autumn Whipkey, Avery Whipkey. Making a Difference (ages 11-15): Emilee Allison, Chase Breen, Emma Casto, Jansen Dearth, Jordan Dearth, Shyanne Dearth, Ali Evans, Shayleigh Gard, Zoey Gilmore, Ethan Gilmore, Grace Hall, Jennessa Lewellyn, Lucas Lewellyn, Kay Lewis, Miryan Lewis, Dixie Martin, Gatlin McLain, Camryn McLain, Carter McLain, Josephine Myers, Malachi Sindledecker, Martin Sindledecker, Lily Sundstrom, Audrey Sundstrom, Josiah Swiger, Morgan Wicker, and Quinlea Williams. True Leaders in Service (ages 16-21): Byron Dearth, Jayden Dearth, Erin Carmicle, Emma Daley, Katie Daley, Dalton Dearth, Cate Evans, Ambreia Griffith, Braydyn Griffith, Whitney Griffith, Brayden Keeney, Emily Kent, Mallory Marks, Alaina Marshall, Hope Prunty, Tessa Prunty, Cyleigh Sampson, and Cameron Shore.

Presidential Service Awards are issued on behalf of the President of the United States to recognize the best in American spirit, and to encourage all Americans to improve their communities through volunteer service and civic participation. Wood County 4-H members meeting the criteria for bronze, silver, and gold awards were honored. Bronze: Sara Stoneking, Jansen Dearth, Jennessa Lewellyn, Miryan Lewis, Camryn McLain, Josiah Swiger, Morgan Wicker, Erin Carmicle, Emma Daley, Byron Dearth, Jayden Dearth, Cate Evans, Whitney Griffith, Mallory Marks, Hope Prunty, Tessa Prunty and Cyleigh Sampson. Silver: Lainey Lewis, Caleb Shore and Jaxon Swiger. Shayleigh Gard, Lucas Lewellyn, Kay Lewis, Gatlin McLain, Audrey Sundstrom, Lily Sundstrom and Ambreia Griffith. Gold: Chase Breen, Emma Casto, Jordan Dearth, Shyanne Dearth, Ali Evans, Malachi Sindledecker, Martin Sindledecker, Katie Daley, Brayden Griffith, Brayden Keeney, Emily Kent, and Cameron Shore.

County Awards

4-H Project Medalrecipients: Josiah Swiger – Entomology and Tree Identification; Zoey Gilmore – Cooking; Cate McLain – Cooking.

Six 4-H members were selected from the club nominees to be  2022 Wood County Outstanding 4-H Members. Junior grades 3-5: Jaxon Swiger and Madalaine Lewis. Intermediate grades 6-8: Josiah Swiger and Morgan Wicker. Senior grade 9 to age 21: Cameron Shore and Katie Daley.

4-H members were honored for their service and leadership and recognized for their extraordinary character. Rising Stars (ages 13-15): Chase Breen, Lily Sundstrom, and Shyanne Dearth. Continuing Service and Leadership (ages 18-21): Dalton Dearth and Alaina Marshall, who have continued to serve the program and their communities beyond high school and in college.

I Dare You Awards (ages 16-18) also known as the National Leadership Award recognizes extraordinary young leaders for their character and leadership potential. This year Wood County 4-H selected Emily Kent and Cameron Shore for this top honor.

4-H Royalty are selected each year to represent the Wood County 4-H for the upcoming year 2022-2023 at parades and events. These individuals are selected based on their records of service and achievement.

Princess: Morgan Wicker of Belleville 4-H Club, Sharp Shooters 4-H Club, and Teen Leaders. Prince: Chase Breen of Lubeck Lucky Clovers and Teen Leaders. King: Cameron Shore of Teen Leaders, and Queen: Audrey Kent of Rebels 4-H Club.

State & National 4-H Awards

Wood County State 4-H Poster and Photo Contest winners were on display at the State Fair of West Virginia: White Ribbons: Lorelei Dent, Lainey Lewis, Jordan Riddle, Josiah Swiger, Jaxon Swiger and Mallory Marks. Red Ribbons: Morgan Wicker, Brylee Forshey, Alaliyah Bland, and State Dairy Contest Poster winner Evan Banks. Blue Ribbons: Austen Kinzy and Miryan Lewis. Blue Ribbon Photo Contest: Grace Hall, Carter McLain, and Paul Smith.

Wood County 4-H had 87 blue ribbon still projects on display at the State Fair of WV. Emma Daley received a Best of Show for her Self-Determined Project – “Crocheting a Sweater” and was one of only a dozen exhibits selected throughout the state. A complete list of blue-ribbon exhibit winners can be found at https://extension.wvu.edu/wood/4h/woodcuts/2022/07/29/summer-showcase-results.

Morgan Wicker received a Gold Ribbon for her state visual presentation “Showmanship Tips for Success” and her presentation was on display at the State Fair of WV.

Wood County 4-H participated in the state Stockman’s Judging Contest with the team members Austin Kent, Bodee Walters, Alyssa Tennant and Hollie Smith placing in the top 25 teams. Audrey Kent (37), Bodee Walters (44), Austin Kent (75), Emily Kent (86), Alyssa Tennant (193), Jeremiah Blackwell (208), Hollie Smith (255), and Jordyne Lockhart (311) competed against several hundred participants in the individual state senior competition.

Shooting Sports Competitions: The Wood County 4-H Jr. Air Rifle team won 1st place in the state. Morgan Wicker and Samantha Thompson finished in the top 5 junior competition. Alyssa Tennant placed in the Top at the State Level and was chosen to be on the State Air Rifle team to compete at the National 4-H Shooting Sports Competition. At nationals she placed in the top 25, along with team member from Wirt County, Austin Sponaugle. The whole team, Alyssa Tennant from Wood County, Jessica Gregory from Monongalia and Austin Sponaugle from Wirt, placed 9th overall in the nation.

Wood County Sharp Shooters participated in the State Archery Qualifier this year. Cooley Dixon placed 3rd, Morgan Wicker placed 4th, and Josh Steele placed 7th in the Jr. Division – all were first year competitors.

Livestock, 4-H Still Project, and 4-H Camp Awards were given out during the Summer Showcase and Camps.