2026 Rangeland and Soil Days Contest brings 115 youth to Belle Fourche

2026 Rangeland and Soil Days Rangeland Top Hand winners (from left to right: Kale Williams, Mya Koenig and Ashley Gebhart).

BROOKINGS, S.D. – South Dakota State University Extension is pleased to announce that 115 youth participated in the 42nd annual Rangeland and 21st annual Soil Days contests on June 9-10, 2026, in Belle Fourche.

“We had a fantastic turnout this year. The future of soil, land and range is bright for South Dakota,” said Kaylee Wheeler, SDSU Extension Range Field Specialist.

There are four divisions in the rangeland contest: New Rangers (ages 8-10), Wranglers (ages 11-13), Scouts (ages 14-18) and Go-Getters (ages 14-18 4-H or FFA). By participating in this contest, students learn how to identify ecological sites, determine cattle carrying capacity, evaluate prairie grouse habitat, plant identification and provide management recommendations.

The top Rangeland Contest Go-Getter 4-H team was Sunshine Bible Academy/Hand County, whose members were Jesse Schoon, Rylee Knock, Tessa Hinman and Dakota Boersma. They will represent South Dakota at the National Land and Range Judging Contest in 2027 in El Reno, Oklahoma. The top rangeland Go-Getter FFA team was Philip FFA, whose members were Kylie Filipiak, Molly Harty, Mackenzi Hovland and Kaydence Eisenbraun.

2026 Rangeland and Soil Days rangeland Go-Getter first place speech winner was Jesse Schoon.

For winning first place in the speech contest, Jesse Schoon, of White River, will represent South Dakota at the International Society for Range Management meeting Feb. 15–18, 2027, in Wichita, Kansas. He will participate and compete with other high school students from across the nation in the High School Youth Forum.

Kale Williams, of Belle Fourche, won the Top Hand Award in the Go-Getter (age 14-18) division of the Rangeland Days contest. Kale has received a traveling trophy that will be his until next year’s event. Mya Koenig, of Fairfax, won Top Hand in the Wrangler (age 11-13) division. Ashley Gebhart, of Meadow, won Top Hand in the New Ranger (age 8-10) division.

To be eligible for the top hand award, participants must compete in all three contest categories (display, speech and judging). Winners of the top hand award for each division receive a custom belt buckle.

The soil contest is for ages 14-18 with the option to compete in 4-H or FFA divisions. By participating in this contest, students learn how to determine soil texture and type, understand soil limiting factors and provide management recommendations. The homesite evaluation portion helps students determine suitability of the site for building foundations, landscaping, septic systems and more.

Jerauld County 4-H team No. 1 won first place in the soil contest 4-H division, with team members Taryn Bartel, Tenley Olinger, Wyatt Fagerhaug and Madilyn Giakowski. Spink County 4-H team No. 1 won second place with members Addy Ihnen, Raeanna Knock and Breckan Estey. These teams will represent South Dakota at the National Land and Range Judging Contest in 2027. The top soil contest FFA team was DeSmet FFA, whose members were Jordyn Nielsen, Layla Crowe, Winchester Temme and Gavin Temme.

A joint effort between SDSU Extension, South Dakota Society for Range Management, the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Butte/Lawrence Conservation Districts, Rangeland and Soil Days gave youth an opportunity to compete through displays, presentations, a land and homesite judging contest and a rangeland judging contest.

“Rangeland and Soil Days helps our youth learn about our most important natural resources and threatened ecosystems (soil and rangelands),” Wheeler said. “It’s also a great opportunity to build leadership skills, as well as make connections with fellow peers and professionals in range and soil sciences.”

For more information on Rangeland and Soil Days, contact Kaylee Wheeler, SDSU Extension Range Field Specialist.

Complete 2026 Rangeland and Soil Days winners:

The top Rangeland Contest Go-Getter 4-H team was Sunshine Bible Academy/Hand County, with members Jesse Schoon, Rylee Knock, Tessa Hinman and Dakota Boersma. This team will represent South Dakota at the National Land and Range Judging Contest in 2027.

RANGELAND DAYS RESULTS

Team judging
FFA Go Getter Division

1. Philip FFA (Kylie Filipiak, Molly Harty, Mackenzi Hovland and Kaydence Eisenbraun)
2. Deubrook FFA (Lidia Dupraz, Luna Siddens, Elleigh Sieve and Georgia Siddens)
3. Belle Fourche FFA (Kale Williams, EC Blair and Kate Blair)

4-H Go-Getter Division

1. Hand County/Sunshine Bible Academy (Jesse Schoon, Rylee Knock, Tessa Hinman and Dakota Boersma)
2. Day County (Kenzie Atherton, Emilie Butler, Lola Wells and Cora Larson)
3. Meade County (Aydan Rhodes, Ian Cammack, Garrett Rohloff and Auburn Treloar)

Individual judging
FFA Go-Getters Division

1. Hayes Christensen, Wessington Springs FFA
2. Kale Williams, Belle Fourche FFA
3. Molly Harty, Philip FFA
4. Lidia Dupraz, Deubrook FFA
5. Mackenzi Hovland, Philip FFA
6. Kaydence Eisenbraun, Philip FFA
7. Charissa Ring, Gregory FFA
8. Luna Siddens, Deubrook FFA
9. Kylie Filipiak, Philip FFA
10. Maddox Mayer, Gregory FFA

4-H Go-Getters Division

1. Dakota Boersma, Hand County 4-H
2. Tessa Hinman, Hand County 4-H
3. Aydan Rhodes, Meade County 4-H
4. Kenzie Atherton, Day County 4-H
5. Rylee Knock, Hand County 4-H
6. Jesse Schoon, Hand County 4-H
7. Jessica Wahlert, Fall River County 4-H
8. Holden Jackson, Jerauld County No. 1 4-H

Scouts Division

1. Philip Assmus, Aurora County
2. Sorley Franklin, Butte County
3. Seug Isaac, Dewey County
4. Cabe Volkman, Butte County
5. Gavin Chelf, Butte County
6. Bailey Takes the Gun, Butte County

Wranglers Division

1. Mya Koenig, Fairfax
2. Brielle Schoon, White River
3. Katy Scott, Whitewood
4. Dalton Hinman, Hand County
5. Reed Hinman, Hand County
6. Della Scott, Whitewood
7. Reagan Schoon, White River
8. Charlie Holmes, Dupree

New Rangers Division

1. Ashley Gebhart, Meadow
2. Kurt Dahlman, Faith
3. Caleb Simon, Dewey County
4. Beck Andrews, Gregory
5. Zoe Koenig, Fairfax
6. Jemma Kahnke, Florence

Individual speaking contest
Go-Getters Division

1. Jesse Schoon, White River
2. Jessica Wahlert, Fall River County
3. EC Blair, Belle Fourche
4. Kale Williams, Belle Fourche

Wranglers Division

1. Katy Scott, Whitewood
2. Della Scott, Whitewood
3. Mya Koenig, Fairfax

New Rangers Division

1. Ashley Gebhart, Meadow
2. Jemma Kahnke, Florence
3. Kurt Dahlman, Faith

Individual display contest
Go-Getters Division

1. Jessica Wahlert, Fall River County
2. EC Blair, Belle Fourche
3. Kale Williams, Belle Fourche

Wranglers Division

1. Katy Scott, Whitewood
2. Della Scott, Whitewood
3. Ellis Kahnke, Florence

New Rangers Division

1. Ashley Gebhart, Meadow
2. Zoey Koenig, Fairfax
3. Jemma Kahnke, Florence

Individual plant mount contest

• Go-Getters Division: Jessica Wahlert, Fall River County
  Wrangler Division: Vada Enfield, Sanborn County
  New Rangers Division: Zoey Koenig, Fairfax

Top Hand awards

• Go-Getter: Kale Williams, Belle Fourche
  Wrangler: Mya Koenig, Fairfax
  New Ranger: Ashely Gebhart, Meadow

SOIL DAYS RESULTS

Team judging contest
FFA Division

1. DeSmet FFA (Jordyn Nielsen, Layla Crowe, Gavin Temme and Winchester Temme)
2. Lemmon FFA (Briley Gebhart, Natalie Dreiske and Sienna Peterson)

4-H Division

1. Jerauld County 4-H No. 1 (Taryn Bartel, Madilyn Gaikowski, Tenley Olinger and Wyatt Fagerhaug)
2. Spink County 4-H No. 1 (Addy Ihnen, Breckan Estey and Raeanna Knock)

Individual judging contest
FFA Division

1. Winchester Temme, DeSmet FFA
2. Gavin Temme, DeSmet FFA
3. Layla Crowe, DeSmet FFA
4. Natalie Dreiske, Lemmon FFA
5. Connor Karsky, Wessington Springs FFA

4-H Division

1. Wyatt Fagerhaug, Jerauld County 4-H No. 1
2. Sam Drieske, Corson County 4-H
3. Addy Ihnen, Spink County 4-H No. 1
4. Patrick Maynard, Spink County 4-H No. 2
5. Brecken Estey, Spink County 4-H No. 1
6. Taryn Bartel, Jerauld County 4-H No. 1
7. Riley Storm, Corson County 4-H
8. Tenley Olinger, Jerauld County 4-H No. 1