(07/02/26) BATON ROUGE, La. — At the 112th 4-H University, the “Krewe De 4-H U” let the good times roll, with Louisiana’s 4-H annual celebration on the LSU main campus. Maddox Fieldhouse was turned into a grand event space for the awards ceremony, where winners and new officers were revealed.

From June 23 to 25, over 1,400 attendees, including agents and volunteers, were on hand as 4-H'ers participated in different competitions and educational sessions around the main campus. In total, 38 contests led to 444 students receiving blue, placement ribbons and 19 educational sessions provided the students with new insights and knowledge to propel their young lives forward.

4-H U is designed to help students grow, meet new people and try new things as they develop and learn.

“My hope is that every young person attending 4-H University takes advantage of the countless opportunities around them and finds the courage to try something new,” said Kimberly Williams, associate head of 4-H youth development. “Often, the experiences, challenges and connections made here have the power to spark lifelong development.”

Todd Tarifa, the head of 4-H youth development, also emphasized the amount of effort that goes into creating and putting on an event of this magnitude and importance.

“Events like this take a lot of teamwork behind the scenes, and we are incredibly thankful for the volunteers, staff and supporters who helped create a safe, welcoming environment where our young people could thrive,” Tarifa said. “Seeing the excitement, pride and emotions from our members as the event ended was a powerful reminder of the positive impact 4-H has on their lives.”

Contest winners were:

4-H Has Talent: Katherine Bogan, of Bienville Parish.

Agriculture Product Identification: Amelia Fontenot, of Acadia Parish.

ATV Safety: Lauren Williams, of Lafayette Parish.

Career Preparation: Gracie Bourgeois, of Jackson Parish.

Child Development: Raelynn Comeaux, of St. Martin Parish.

Child Development (Team): Emmy Verret and Gracie Verret, of St. Mary Parish.

Civic Engagement Illustrated Talk: Jeanne Rider, of Vermilion Parish.

Civic Engagement Method Demonstration: Hadley Dumond and Morgan Dore’, of Vermilion Parish.

Joe Lewis IV speaks to the crowd after being announced as the new 4-H state president at the 4-H University awards ceremony on June 25. Photo by Anthony Bailey/LSU AgCenter

Emmy Verret and Gracie Verret, of St. Mary Parish, celebrate after being announced the winners of the child development team competition at 4-H University on June 25 in the Maddox Field House. Photo by Anthony Bailey/LSU AgCenter

4-H’ers celebrate in the crowd in the Maddox Fieldhouse after one of their cohorts won an award on June 25. Photo by Anthony Bailey/LSU AgCenter

Consumer Decision Making: Mia Russo, of Vermilion Parish.

Consumer Decision Making (Team): Mia Russo, Amélie Broussard, Hayden Gleason and Abby Leblanc, of Vermilion Parish.

Consumer Food Evaluation: Catherine Page and Ella Higginbotham, of Winn Parish.

Esports: Chanler Baker, Zachary Kelley and Kenneth Richard, of Winn Parish.

Fashion Revue — It’s Sew You: Kyleigh Greer, of Natchitoches Parish.

Fashion Revue — Ready-to-Wear: Bella Clark, of Natchitoches Parish.

Fashion Revue — Upcycled Fashion: Brenna List, of Vermilion Parish.

Fishing Sports: Andrew Chapman, of Calcasieu Parish.

Fishing Sports (Team): Travis Granata, Brock Greathouse and Andrew Chapman, of Calcasieu Parish.

Healthy Living Illustrated Talk: Katie Guillory, of Avoyelles Parish.

Healthy Living Method Demonstration: Lyndi La Rue and Vivian Futch, of Acadia Parish.

Horticulture Identification and Evaluation: Aiden Edgar, of St. Martin Parish.

Horticulture Identification and Evaluation (Team): Hayden Stutes, Ava Hoag, Lillian Hebert and Justin Cormier, of Vermilion Parish.

Insect Identification: Ava Gauthier, of St. Martin Parish.

Livestock Judging: Dawson Leger, of Calcasieu Parish.

Livestock Judging (Team): Emma Bourgeois, Tara Greathouse, Dawson Leger and Lane Greathouse, of Calcasieu Parish.

Meat Identification and Judging: Holden Morvant, of Jefferson Davis Parish.

Meat Identification and Judging (Team): Cain Remchuk, Holden Morvant, Kasidi LeDay and Ayden Dauphinet, of Jefferson Davis Parish.

Next Healthy Food Star: Rylan Gill, Ava Canerday and Sienna Box, of Winn Parish.

Outdoor Skills Triathlon: Karsyn Brandon, of Sabine Parish.

Outdoor Skills Triathlon (Team): Joseph Fischer, Jett Langlinais, Lane Duhon and Benjamin Meaux, of Vermilion Parish.

Personal Trainer: Grace Theriot, of Vermilion Parish.

Photography: Jennifer Busha, of Winn Parish.

Poultry Judging: Katie Dodge, of Lafayette Parish.

Poultry Judging (Team): Mela Sonnier, Katie Dodge, Samantha LeBlanc and Blaislyn Domingue, of Lafayette Parish.

Promote 4-H Graphic Design Portfolio Contest: Gage LeBlanc, of East Feliciana Parish.

Public Speaking (Any Subject): Camryn Chauvin, of St. James Parish.

Public Speaking (Cooperative): Ty Duhon, of Cameron Parish.

Robotics Challenge: Liam Bertrand, Liam Granger and Christian Melancon, of Acadia Parish.

Sports Broadcasting: Addyson Broussard and Isabella Pool, of Vermilion Parish.

STEM Illustrated Talk: Elizabeth Xu, of East Baton Rouge Parish.

STEM Method Demonstration: Aliegh Pourciau and Lily Perrin, of Vermilion Parish.

Teens Driving Teens: Emmalyn Meaux and Faith Zaunbrecher, of Vermilion Parish.

Tiger Tank Entrepreneurship Challenge (Ideation): Katie Guillory, of Avoyelles Parish.

Tiger Tank Entrepreneurship Challenge (Up & Running): Mason Andrus, of Vermilion Parish.

Tractor Operations: Summit Saltzman, of Vermilion Parish.

Vet Set Geaux: Anna Hebert, of Assumption Parish.

Visual Arts Competition: Grace O’Neill, of Tangipahoa Parish.