Conserving native range resources and teaching others to do the same is a long-standing tradition in Nebraska. 

In 1965, a group of people associated with the Nebraska Chapter of Society for Range Management began the Nebraska Range Judging contest. The contest today is open to youth and adults who have an interest in range management. 

There are six local contests followed by the state contest which are held around the state allowing an opportunity for all youth and adults in the state to participate and increase their knowledge in range management. 

The state local contest for 2026 was held northwest of North Platte on Wednesday, Sept. 23. The contest had participants from 48 schools participating with a total of 484 students competing and 38 adults.

The first place junior and senior teams and high point individuals win purple rosette ribbons while the next three placing’s receive corresponding ribbons. Also, the top 25% receive participation ribbons. Although the ribbons are a trophy that students work very hard to earn, those responsible for the contests feel the real prize is in what the students learn about range management, the legacy that is passed on, and the pride they develop in their state and the future of its resources.

A thank you to all the local natural resource districts, natural resource conversation service and Lincoln County extension office for coordinating and hosting the contest, along with many other volunteers from across the state that came to help.

The winners in the state contest:

Junior team (grades 7-10)

1st place – Imperial

  • Clayson Thayer
  • Tatum May
  • Damien Barger
  • Truman Olsen

2nd place – Burwell

  • Jackson Joy
  • Jordee Johnston
  • Hudson Redman
  • Brye Burnham

3rd place – Ansley

  • Robert Brott
  • Bayler Clay
  • Aspen Taylor
  • Lily Hickenbottom

4th place – Sargent

  • Blake Bottorf
  • Nathan Lowry
  • Quade Smith
  • Jace Mauler

Senior team (grades 11-12)

1st place – West Holt

  • Hunter Wettlaufer
  • Case Shane
  • Ian Shane
  • Elizabeth Olson

2nd place – St. Paul

  • Noah Gawrych
  • Cash Wemhoff
  • Joel Kaslon
  • Braden Hirschman

3rd place – Ansley

  • Wyatt Hoblyn Shoemaker
  • Madie Loy
  • Kali Nelson
  • Owen Hawkins

4th place – Imperial

  • Aidan Vlasin
  • Bennett Kuenning
  • Sawyer Sauder
  • Luke Kuenning

Junior Individual (grades 7-10)

  • 1st place – Robert Brott; Ansley
  • 2nd place – Jackson Joy; Burwell
  • 3rd place – Clayson Thayer; Imperial
  • 4th place – Blake Bottorf; Sargent

Participation – Top 25%

  • Ansley – Bayler Clay, Aspen Taylor, Lily Hickenbottom, Jaxon Schulte, Tyliee Hendricks
  • Arcadia – Kade Hulinsky
  • Boyd County – Juliana Cline, Miri Johnson
  • Burwell – Jordee Johnston, Hudson Redman, Brye Burnham, Traigh Freeman, Boz Conrad, Jasper Borgelt
  • Chadron – Roudy Schommer
  • Chambers – Weston Brown, Trevor Timmerman
  • Elgin – Kinley Miller, Garrett Busteed
  • Hay Springs – Connor Forney
  • Imperial – Tatum May, Damien Barger, Truman Olsen, Hayden Worth, Anna McNair, Thomas Maddux
  • Loup County – Lane Moody
  • Medicine Valley – Isaac Snyder
  • Nebraska Ag Academy – Reagan Schaaf, Nathan Brhel, Ivy Chipperfield, Madeline Smith
  • O’Neill – Lynn Miner
  • Ord – Nathan Wadas, Kaitlyn Reineke
  • Riverside – Belle Weltruski, Kathryn North
  • Sargent – Nathan Lowry, Quade Smith, Jace Mauler
  • St. Paul – Landen Herbig, Mostyn Meyer, Braxton Headrick, Ryker Rasmussen
  • Valentine – Ali Weller, Bayley Burdick, Ezra Dorsey, Tylee Tinant
  • Wallace – Hazel Deaver, Heidi Deaver, Tonya Deaver
  • West Holt – Landri Nemetz, Atziri Sanchez, Mahlon Stine, Ryder Wettlaufer, Reese Hoffman, Lainey Skrdla, Isabella Schaaf, Payton Skrdla, Ryan Havranek
  • Wheeler Central – Corbin Kasselder, Elexis Plugge, Owen Sallach, Denna Skortcz

Senior Individual (grades 11-12 grade)

  • 1st place – Emily Bashtovi; Sidney
  • 2nd place – Kayden Kvistad; Chadron
  • 3rd place – Hunter Wettlaufer; West Holt
  • 4th place – Aiden Vlasin; Imperial

Participation – Top 25%

  • Ansley – Wyatt Hoblyn Shoemaker, Madie Loy, Kali Nelson, Owen Hawkins
  • Arapahoe – Briggs Hill
  • Arcadia – Kale Dorsey
  • Burwell – Eli Cox
  • Cambridge – Regine Pena, Kylie Koeppen
  • Chadron – Sam Kahl
  • Deshler – Makenna Freitag, Danica O’Neal
  • Elgin – Kylee Lichtenberg, Libby Evans, Zoey Buetcher
  • Imperial – Bennett Kuenning
  • Kimball – Trey Cook
  • Loup County – Sierra Slagle, Alyissa Moody, Jaelynn Blackburn
  • Medicine Valley – Spencer Snyder
  • O’Neill – Kaitlyn Hinrichs
  • Ord – Elizabeth Skibinski, Avery Bruha, Kyptan Scheideler
  • Rock County – Noah Seberger
  • Sargent – Brinley Smith
  • St. Paul – Noah Gawrych, Cash Wemhoff, Joel Kaslon, Braden Hirschman, Ryan Rasmussen
  • Valentine – Annalena Nelson, Camilla Brown, Raken Tinant, Josie Shaul, Callie Kenner
  • West Holt – Case Shane, Ian Shane, Elizabeth Olson, Mason Troidl, London Konrad
  • Wheeler Central – Justin Guggenmos, Reese Smith, Hadley Pokorny

Adults/Pro

  • 1st place – Philip Simpson; Burwell
  • 2nd place – Kelly Guggenmos; Wheeler Central
  • 3rd place – Mike Kozeal; Sargent  
  • 4th place – Tanner Dunbar; Loup County

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