Several Acadia winners at 4-H U

Acadia 4-H members Eric LaCombe, Maddie Ardoin, Macie Breaux, Merideth Raspberry and Kathryn LeBlanc came home as state winners from 4-H University.
This was a jubilant accomplishment for Acadia Parish 4-H. The four day LSU AgCenter event, held on the LSU campus recently was packed with competitions, workshops, and socializing with 1,515 4-H’ers from across the state.
First place state winners from Acadia Parish included:
• Eric LaCombe: Career Prep Interview.
LaCombe scored an actual college job after completing a resume and job interview in the Career Preparation contest.
He has won an all-expense paid trip to San Antonio, Texas, through 4-H University.
• Maddie Ardoin, Macie Breaux and Meredith Raspberry: Consumer Foods Judging. These three girls were better than all the rest in accessing and judging practical situations in Consumer Foods Judging. Focusing on the task and a lot of studying paid off for these girls.
They were awarded the Club Congress trip to Atlanta, Georgia.
• Kathryn LeBlanc: Dog Science Contest.
Wowing the judges with her Laser Dog Therapy demonstration, LeBlanc’s gifted knowledge in dog science made this girl a state winner.
She also received an all-expense paid trip to San Antonio for her accomplishment.
Furthermore, two Acadia 4-H’ers – Gabriel Hains and Bryce Istre – placed second in the Entomology Demonstration.
Hains and Istre were awarded the Gulf Coast trip, where they travel to Gulf Shores, Alabama for a week.
In addition, several more Acadia Parish 4-H’ers took home awards.
• Third place winners included: Brailie Cormier and Claire Morgan, Agriculture Demonstration; Alana Vincent and Alexis Vincent, Family and Consumer Science Demonstration; and Victoria Gaudin and Tabitha Leonards, Horticulture Use Demonstration.
• Fourth place winners included: Allison Wikel, Child Development; Jacob Zaunbrecher, Compact Tractor; Logan Aguillard, Insect Identification; and Logan Chesterman and Caroline Gauthier, The Louisiana Chef Demonstration.
• Fifth place winners include: Delo “Bubba” Hebert, 4-H Has Talent; Madison Browning and Emma Istre, Computer Simulation; and Daniel Garber, Jade McFarlain and Sarah Wright, Dairy Judging.
Along with these winners, 21 of Acadia’s 4-H youth finished in the state’s top Blue Ribbon groups.
Sixty-six Acadia 4-H’ers took part in 25 different competitions while 14 attended the non-competitive Clover College tracks, experienced campus life and performed service learning activities.
Acadia Parish 4-H accomplished another first in placing five 4-H’ers on state boards. Competing with their resumes and in job interviews, Bryce Istre and Cameron Russell were chosen for the State Citizenship Board, while Patrick Cormier and Colton Dupre were elected as Southwest Regional Representatives serving on the State Executive Board. Tabitha Leonards was chosen for State Executive Board as a National Conference Delegate.
Taking care of 4-H business, Wyatt Kennedy and Payton Zaunbrecher, Acadia Parish voting delegates, helped to elect the state officers and regional representatives.
Acadia Parish also is thrilled to recognize the two state scholarship recipients from Acadia Parish. Zaunbrecher was awarded the Daniel Fontenot Jr. Scholarship in the amount of $300. Zaunbrecher will be attending McNeese State University this fall majoring in animal science. LaCombe was awarded two state scholarships – the LA4-H Foundation Parish scholarship in the amount of $100 and the Ruth Johnson scholarship in the amount of $500. LaCombe will be attending Louisiana State University this fall majoring in computer engineering.
These two 4-H’ers and their families attended a formal reception as they were recognized by the LSU AgCenter and 4-H Youth Development officials for their great accomplishments in 4-H.
Acadia Parish is fortunate to have outstanding support in the parish’s 4-H program including its 4-H University coaches – Jill Adams, Emily Arceneaux, Dr. Katherine Beier, Michelle Breaux, Matt Garber, Chaney Guidry, Johnny Hains Jr., Jeremy Hebert, Marsha Hebert, Judia LaCombe, Dana Leger, Tricia Lyons, Brenda Myers, Michelle Puissegur, Adrianne Vidrine and Tiffany Williams. The parish 4-H’ers success was due, in part, to these coaches, according to parish agents.
Serving as chaperones on the trip were Michelle Breaux, Chaney Guidry, Brent Hains, Jeremy Hebert, Marsha Hebert, Darin Lessigne, Tricia Lyons, Michelle Puissegur, Sherry Terro and Dawn Williams.
For more information on the Acadia Parish 4-H program, call 788-8821. You can also find 4-H on the web at LSUagcenter.com