Regan Jackson, Boyce, Va., has been named the winner of the 2022 National Jersey Youth Achievement Contest. The contest recognizes Jersey youth for their leadership, activities and participation in Jersey functions, as well as success in breeding and managing their own Jersey cattle.
Applications received by the American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA) were evaluated and ranked by a committee of judges to determine this year’s top 10 individuals. These 10 youth will receive cash awards totaling $4,500 at the Youth Awards Ceremony on Sunday morning, November 4, 2023, during All American festivities in Louisville, Ky.
First Regan Jackson, Boyce, Va.
Louisiana State University
Regan Jackson jumped from last year’s placement of fifth to first this year. She is originally from Boyce Va., where she lived with her parents, Kevin and Laura Jackson.
She has been involved with Jersey activities for the past nine years as a junior member of the AJCA and the Virginia Jersey Cattle Club. While a part of the Virginia Jersey Cattle Club, she has served as a junior director.
Her Jersey herd consists of 12 cows and 10 heifers. Her cattle are managed with her family’s farm, Waverly Farm, in Clear Brook, Va. At the 2022 Virginia Summer Colored Breeds Show, she was awarded five first placings; senior two-year-old, winter yearling, winter calf, produce of dam and junior best three females. Her first award was at the same show in 2013, where she placed first with her spring calf.
Throughout her years of involvement, Jackson has taken on many leadership roles to be an advocate and educator for the breed. She has been president for her county’s 4-H dairy club and high school FFA. She has taken these leadership skills to Louisiana State University (LSU), where she is a current student-leader for multiple organizations, including vice president of the university’s dairy club.
Jackson had formed a personal connection to the medical field and agriculture industry in the early stages of her life. She is currently studying at LSU to become a doctor where she can use this role to educate others on the benefits of agriculture products and give a voice to production agriculture.
Second Mary Holtz, Maquoketa, Iowa
Recent Graduate, Iowa State University
Second place of the 2022 National Jersey Youth Achievement Contest goes to Mary Holtz. This is the third year in a row that Holtz has placed in the contest. In 2020 she took seventh, and in 2021 she placed third. Her parents are Jeff and Lisa Holtz of Holtz-View Farms.
Holtz has participated in a variety of Jersey activities. She has been a part of organizations at the county, state, and national levels for 12 years. These organizations include the Jackson/Clinton County Dairy Promotion Board, Iowa Jersey Cattle Club, and the AJCA as a junior member. She has also served at the county level as a dairy princess.
She has a herd of 72 cows and 66 heifers. In addition to the Jersey breed, Holtz also has 22 Ayrshires and eight Brown Swiss animals. One of the most recent recognitions Holtz has received on behalf of her cattle was at the 2022 Iowa State Fair. She received the first-place production award for all cows exhibited and first-place dairy herd in the junior show.
Holtz also promoted the Jersey breed outside of the fairs and competitions through organizations within her alma mater. During her time at Iowa State University, she was a member of the school’s collegiate 4-H, Pre-Veterinary Club, and Beginning Farmers Network. She was also able to hold office in the Dairy Science Club as a co-chair of the dairy products committee. During the 2021-2022 school year, Holtz had the opportunity to do an independent research program to improve the Jersey herd at the Iowa State University (ISU) dairy farm.
Holtz recently graduated from ISU where she obtained two bachelor’s degrees and has now begun a career within the dairy industry. She has put her plans of graduate or veterinary school on hold to pursue this career and take advantage of all the connections she has made during her time in school. Her end goal is to own a dairy farm and raise a family who is as involved with and in love with the breed as she is.
Third Sara Reed, Columbia Cross Roads, Pa.
High School Senior
Third place for the 2022 National Jersey Youth Achievement Contest goes to Sara Reed. Reed is the daughter of Leonard and Erin Reed of Ravineside Farm.
For the past 10 years, Reed has been an active member of the Jersey community. For nine of those years, she has been a member of both the Pennsylvania Jersey Cattle Association and the AJCA as a junior member.
Reed’s herd has a total of seven heifers and nine cows who have won awards in the past to testify their quality. One of her most recent awards comes from the 2022 Troy Fair Open Show, where she exhibited the Reserve Grand Champion and Junior Champion. Coincidentally, this is the same fair she won one of her earliest awards. In 2019, she showed the Grand Champion Jersey and Reserve Supreme Champion.
Reed also promotes the Jersey breed through the Troy FFA chapter, LeRoy Community 4-H Club and Bradford County Council. Reed has served as president of all these organizations. Reed has also made waves in the judging community. From 2017-2022, she won 10 first-place individual and team awards at a variety of contests.
In the fall, Reed plans to attend Penn State University to pursue a degree in animal science and a minor in communications. While in school, she plans to qualify for the Penn State Dairy Judging Team and someday become a judge at The All American Jersey Show.
Her dream is to work as a communications manager for a company that has an impact on the agricultural industry’s trends. She also wants to expand her own herd and share quality Jerseys nationwide. To reach these big goals, Reed plans to intern at various companies for first-hand experience and continue to judge and shadow judges at every opportunity that comes her way.
Fourth Tyler Seals, Tillamook, Ore.
Oregon State University
Tyler Seals, son of Dave and Kim Seals, placed fourth in the 2022 National Jersey Youth Achievement Contest. Tyler is currently enrolled at Oregon State University while also working on the family farm, Sunny Ridge Dairy.
Seals has been active in Jersey youth projects for 13 years. His Registered Jersey herd includes 50 cows and 49 heifers. He is currently an AJCA Junior Member and has been both president and vice president of his local FFA and 4-H organizations. As well, he has participated in judging and showmanship contests since 2012. He placed second at one of his more recent showmanship contests, the Western Junior Jersey Spring Show.
Outside of these contests and organizations, Seals has shared his knowledge of the agriculture industry through presentations to a variety of audiences. In 2019 he spoke to community members about large animal veterinary practices. He demonstrated how to register a Jersey in 2017 to 4-H members.
His impact on the agriculture industry has been recognized in the past with a range of scholarships and his FFA American Farmer degree in 2022. He wants to add to this collection with the Young Jersey Breeder Award and Master Breeder Award from the AJCA.
He also wants to have more females ranked among the top 300 for Genomic Jersey Performance Index and on the list of the top 50 females by traits . Seals plans to achieve these dreams by continuing to sell bulls into stud and breeding females that are at the top of the breed.
Fifth Kylie Konyn, Escondido, Calif.
University of Wisconsin-Madison
The fifth-place winner of the 2022 National Jersey Youth Achievement Contest is Kylie Konyn. She has jumped to this spot after placing 10th last year. Kylie is originally from Escondido Calif., where she was raised by Frank and Stacey Konyn. She is now at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) where she is studying dairy science with a certificate in agricultural business management and science communication.
Konyn has been active in Jersey projects for 10 years. This decade long journey has led her to grow her herd to 31 heifers and 39 cows. She has participated in multiple Jersey organizations ranging from county, state and national levels. She has held the president, vice president, and secretary positions in both the San Diego County Junior Jersey Association and the California Junior Jersey Association. She is also an AJCA Junior Member. In addition to these Jersey organizations, she has participated in other groups that have helped her develop her leadership skills. These organizations include Association of Women in Agriculture, Badger Dairy Club, and UW Madison Collegiate Dairy Judging Team to name a few.
Konyn has proved her dedication to the Jersey breed through her show and contest participation. She has participated in multiple production contests every year since 2016. In six of these past competitions, she had placed in the top three. She has had similar success in Jersey shows. She started competing in these shows in 2014, and has continued to this day.
When she is not preparing for her next win, she is educating others on the dairy industry. She has done this through a variety of channels including speeches, demonstrations and social media. Her most recent outreach has been on YouTube. In December of 2022, she completed a video series on the national dairy checkoff program and dairy cattle marketing. She has done a similar promotion on Facebook. Also in December of 2022, she shared her experience in the dairy industry for the purpose of promoting dairy youth and encourage others to get involved.
Konyn is currently studying at UW-Madison in hopes of obtaining a doctorate in dairy genetics or nutrition. She wants to use her current and future research to become a management consultant and help farmers make economic and management decisions. She also wants to help further her family’s herd. She plans to find a niche product for her family and use direct marketing to inform San Diego consumers on where their products are coming from. Konyn sees the value of the opportunities and networking that she can get from groups such as the AJCA. This is why she plans to continue her involvement with the AJCA and similar organizations.
Sixth Jamie Gibbs, Rollingstone, Minn.
High School Senior
The sixth-place winner of the 2022 National Jersey Youth Achievement Contest is a Lewiston Altura High School senior, Jamie Gibbs. Jamie is the daughter of Bridget and Nathan Gibbs of Gibbs Dairy and CJL Jerseys.
Over the past 10 years of Jersey youth participation, Gibbs has grown her herd to 26 heifers and 17 cows. Her passion for the Jersey breed has been recognized in the variety of contests, competitions, and shows she has participated in and won. For the past three years, Gibbs has exhibited her cattle at Jersey shows, where she won many high rankings including 14 placings among the top three.
When she is not competing, Gibbs is participating in organizations that have a focus on the dairy industry. She has been an AJCA junior member and a member of the Minnesota Jersey Cattle Association for five years. She was crowned Minnesota Jersey queen. In addition to these Jersey-oriented organizations, she has also been a member of the Lewiston-Altura FFA, Winona County 4-H.
Within these organizations, Gibbs participated in activities including Winona County Dairy Judging, LAHS Milk Quality Team, and the Minnesota State Fair Dairy Committee. Through these organizations, she has also taken on leadership roles. She has been president, vice president and historian for Winona County 4-H and a member of the dairy judging team She has also be a member of her school’s FFA milk quality team.
Gibbs also participates in other activities in school. She was a representative of the student council, captain of the track and field team, and speaker for the state of the school committee. She has also given multiple speeches, demonstrations, and presentations to promote Jerseys, 4-H and other interests. The audiences for these presentations have surpassed 300 people.
Gibbs was recently accepted into the University of Minnesota College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resource Science. She plans to double major in animal science and kinesiology. She desires to stay close to her roots by continuing to show and work with her herd. She also plans to branch out while in school by joining the Gopher Dairy Club and broaden her perspective of the breed and agriculture. By looking at her past accomplishments, it is easy to see she is a hard worker. She plans to continue this trait by earning scholarships and working in school so she can achieve these educational goals.
Seventh Regan Johnson, Northwood, N.H.
Lakes Region Community College
Regan Johnson placed seventh in the 2022 National Jersey Youth Achievement Contest. Regan is the daughter of Jason and Heather Johnson. She is currently homeschooled while taking college classes at Lakes Region Community College.
Johnson has participated in Jersey youth projects for the past 13 years and currently owns a herd of five heifers and three cows. She has participated in many contests and shows at the local, state and national levels. One of her most recent accomplishments was at the 2022 Northeast All Breeds Spring Show. She showed the third-place winter yearling, first-place winter yearling, ninth-place spring yearling and sixth-place junior two-year-old. She has had similar rankings since she started competing in shows in 2015.
Outside of her competing and preparation for competition, Johnson participates in Jersey organizations at the state and national level. She has been a junior member of AJCA for eight years. She has also participated in the New England Jersey Breeders Association for eight years and is the current director of Vermont Jersy Breeders Association, which she has also been a member of for eight years. In addition to these Jersey leadership roles, she was president of Cow Tail 4-H Club, vice president of the Merrimack County 4-H Dairy Club, and secretary of Rockingham County 4-H Dairy Club. Her membership of other 4-H groups extends to Footin’ to Hoofin’ 4-H Club and Clever Clovers 4-H Club.
Johnson likes to share her experience in the dairy industry by speaking and demonstrating what she has learned. In 2022 she gave a live demonstration at the Deerfield Fair where she showed and explained the functions of the internal organs of a cow. Also in 2022, she placed third in the senior public speaking contest at the 2022 All American Jersey Show.
Johnson plans to continue her education at Lakes Region Community College to obtain an associate degree in fire science. Johnson plans to become a firefighter while continuing to be active on the farm. With a 24-hour shift and multiple days off in a row, she is confident she can serve the community she is a part of while also living her Jersey dream.
Eighth Clancey Krahn, Albany, Ore.
High School Senior
Daughter of Ben and Amy Krahn, Clancey Krahn is this year’s eighth-place winner of the 2022 National Youth Achievement Contest. Clancey is a 4.0 high school senior at Scio High School and operates Royal Riverside Farm with her family.
For 15 years, Krahn has been participating in Jersey youth projects with her 44 heifers and 31 cows. She has been showing off her herd’s quality by participating and winning production awards and shows. In 2022 year, she won two first-place FFA production awards and one seventh-place award in the Oregon junior youth production contest. She has also participated in nine shows including the Western Oregon Junior Jersey Show, where she took home eight first place awards, and won Junior and Grand Champion.
Krahn has been a member of multiple Jersey focused organizations for 12 years. These organizations include the Oregon Junior Jersey Cattle Association, Oregon Jersey Cattle Association, and the AJCA as a junior member. She has also participated in and held office positions in other organizations for as long as 14 years. She was the president of the Royal Clover 4-H Club, Santiam Christian Greenhand FFA Chapter, Scio FFA Chapter, Upper Williamette FFA District, and the Santiam Chistian Discovery FFA Program. She was also secretary of the Santam Christian FFA Chapter, Scio FFA Chapter, Oregon Junior Pork Producers, and the Upper Williamette FFA District.
For the past eight years, Krahn has been sharing the knowledge and experiences she has gained from the agriculture industry. Most recently she spoke at the FFA opening ceremony. She spoke for the Scio Winter Banquet at Scio High School in front of an audience of 150 people. She has also given demonstrations, including a milking parlor demonstration at the Oregon State Fair 2022, with 200 people in attendance. In 2019 she spoke on the Queen of Quality program administered by National All-Jersey Inc. at the Oregon FFA convention with 2,000 in attendance, her largest audience to date.
Krahn has big plans for continuing her education. She will attend Linn Benton Community College and then transfer to Oklahoma State University and major in agriculture communications and animal science and minor in agribusiness and international agriculture policy. Her goal is to eventually obtain a master’s degree in this related field. While pursuing this degree, she wants to get involved with Oklahoma’s dairy cattle evaluation team, serve as an ambassador in the college of agriculture, join the dairy club, collegiate farm bureau, Association of Women in Agriculture and Alpha Zeta. She will continue to show at the local, state, and national level, plans to run for National Jersey Queen, and hopes to participate in the Pot O’ Gold sale this year.
Ninth Morgan Osborn-Wotthlie, Union Bridge, Md.
Messiah University
Morgan Osborn-Wotthlie is a first-time award winner in the National Jersey Youth Achievement Contest. Through her hard work through the past decade participating in Jersey projects, she has placed ninth.
Osborn-Wotthlie is a current college student at Messiah University studying mechanical engineering and dance. Before starting her higher education, Osborn-Wotthlie lived with her parents, Deborah Osborn and James Wottlie, on Bar-None Jersey Farm. Her efforts within the Jersey industry have not only allowed her to earn this award, but it has also brought her 15 heifers and 25 cows.
Her cattle have returned the favor and allowed her to participate in and win more competitions within the Jersey industry. One of her most recent wins comes from the 2022 Maryland State Fair 4-H Show. She placed first in four categories and was named Grand Champion. She has had similar success from the start, including 2016 where she competed in the same Maryland State Fair 4-H Show. This was one of her first shows as a member of the Jersey industry and she placed first with her summer yearling and also earned Junior Champion laurels.
She has been an AJCA Junior Member for eight years, and a member of the Maryland Junior Jersey Club for 10. Outside of these Jersey focused organizations, she has been a member, and even held a presidential position, of the Carroll County 4-H Dairy Club. She has also held office as a president of the FSK FFA and has been a member of the Maryland Farm Bureau.
Her love for Jerseys and leadership goes a step further by looking at her involvement in spreading her knowledge of the industry. This past year, she was given the opportunity to do an interview with 98Rock TV. She shared with the host how to properly milk a cow and explained the differences between beef and dairy cattle. Her efforts to engage with the community have gone back as far as 2017. This is when she participated at U-Learn Farm at the Maryland State Fair. She connected with hundreds of people by assisting with games.
Osborn-Wottlie plans to continue pursuing her degree in mechanical engineering where she will use her knowledge of the agriculture industry to succeed. She has already been offered amazing opportunities for her professional career due to her Jersey and educational connections. One includes past dairy princess and an internship for a robotic manufacturer, and the other involves working to improve a third world country thanks to a Messiah University alumna she encountered.
Tenth Tara Knapp, Larchwood, Iowa
High School Senior
Tara Knapp, daughter of Kevin and Cari Knapp, is the 10th-place winner of the 2022 National Jersey Youth Achievement Contest. She has been working for nine years on Jersey youth projects and owns a herd of five cows and seven heifers.
Knapp has participated in a variety of contests related to the Jersey industry on both the regional and local level. In the past year, she exhibited the Reserve Junior and Reserve Senior Champion Jersey at the Sioux Empire show. She also won the same titles and second place in four classes at the Lyon County Fair, and Junior Champion Jersey and an Honorable Mention Jersey at a local youth show.
She prepares for these competitions by participating in Jersey and agriculture focused organizations. She has been a junior member of the AJCA for a year and a junior member of the Iowa Jersey Cattle Club for eight years. She has also been a member of the Lester Friendly 4-H Club for eight years, where she was secretary in 2021 and reporter in 2020. She has also been sentinel for West Lyon FFA and was a member of the Lyon County 4-H Youth Council.
Knapp has many personal achievements that have contributed to her rank in this contest including multiple showmanship and judging awards from 2015-2022. She has also shown her qualifications through a variety of public presentations given to share her knowledge of agriculture. Her most recent presentation was a speech she had prepared on a specific type of Bio Therapeutics for a competition she had won first-place in with a silver FFA rating. She has also performed multiple 4-H demonstrations from 2015-2022 with audience varying in sizes from 40 to 75 people.
She plans to pursue her two dreams: becoming a registered nurse and continuing to develop her Jersey herd. She will do this by attending a local university that will allow her to stay close to home to care for her cattle. She wants to use her nursing position to advocate for the dairy industry and educate others on the nutritional benefits of dairy.
