21 La Salle County 4-H members win awards at Illinois State Fair

Fifty La Salle County girls and boys earned bids to the 4-H General Project Show at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield, with all bringing home state fair ribbons.

The local competitors earned their places in the Orr Building at the Illinois State Fairgrounds by capturing state delegate status at the La Salle County 4-H Show and Junior Fair in Ottawa in July. They took their winning projects to Springfield on Aug. 13 to compete against other delegates from counties across the state.

Seven La Salle County 4-H members captured the coveted blue State Champion medals for their projects. They were (with project category in parentheses) Mario Bernabei (shooting sports rifle), Ryne Bubela (intermediate robotics 1), James Castelli (photo editing), Paige Krami (clay), Julia Krueger (intermediate design decisions), Alexandria Pedelty (outdoor adventures) and Mollie Thompson (veterinary science).

Bringing home State Reserve awards were Eleanor Stein (VA quilting), Avery Saltzman (beekeeping 1), John Lukach (crops innovation), Tate Lafond (vegetable plate), Myracle Johnson (pebble pups 1), Ashlin Jackson (forests of fun 2), Lilliana Bernabei (photography 3) and Lucille Alexander (food science).

Winning State Inspire awards were Andrea Brandner (cooking 401), Isabel Hackett (VA quilting), Alyssa Hiadovcak (beginning scrapbooking), Tristan Justice (natural resources 1), Elijah Larson (leather) and Zoe Morris (heritage arts).

La Salle County 4-H’s additional state delegates included Vaughn Anderson, Elizabeth Arnold, Max Brodbeck, Alexis Bubela, Caylin Cantlin, Talia Jenkins, Tenley Justice, Kara Killelea, Emma Lukach, William Lukach, Hannah Mann, Greyson Marincic, Rita McLaughlin, Raelyn Meisel, Annika Michlik, Flora Michlik, William Mix, Levi Moore, Jenna Moritz, Oliver Ruvalcaba, Lexi Sawin, Lily Schneider, Cole Setchell, Aubrey Siebert, Cody Taylor, Brayden Wilson, Charlotte Wilson, Korra Wilson and Nathan Wright.