From Lego Masters to young artists – 4-H Round Up brings out the best in local youth

CULLMAN, Ala. – From Lego builds and homemade art to freestyle soccer routines and more, the Cullman County 4-H Round Up on April 22, was packed with creativity as local students competed for a chance to advance to the Northeast Alabama Regional Congress in Cleveland, Alabama, on May 14.

Throughout the year, 4-H members meet regularly in classrooms and community clubs to develop skills they can later showcase in the various competition categories at the annual Round Up. Students first compete at the classroom level, with top winners advancing to the Cullman County 4-H Round Up, where they vie for top honors and the opportunity to represent Cullman County at the regional level.

This year’s Round Up hosted 190 of those youth competitors, making it one of the largest in Cullman County 4-H history — so large, in fact, that the original venue could no longer accommodate the event.

“We had a local location booked for Round Up but after looking at pre-registration numbers, we quickly realized that we would be over fire code,” shared Kerri Roberts, 4-H youth development coordinator. “We scrambled to find another location. Thankfully, we were able to work with Kenneth Cornelius, Cullman County Parks and Recreation director, to use the Cullman County Agricultural Trade Center.”

The Cullman County 4-H Round Up competition featured a wide variety of disciplines, giving students the chance to showcase their talents and apply the skills they’ve honed throughout the year. The 2025 event included long-standing favorite categories such as Art, 4-H Chef, the $15 Challenge, Freestyle, Cookies and Photography, alongside new additions like Graphic Design, Public Speaking and Container Gardening.

Local volunteer judges served as the backbone of the event, spending hours carefully evaluating each category. They listened as students explained the inspirations behind their art and photography, watched as others showcased skills like trimming and arranging elaborate flower displays, and admired the enthusiasm of future Lego Masters sharing their creative builds. Some judges sampled a variety of homemade dishes, from appetizers and desserts to handcrafted pizza rolls — while others listened intently to the well-prepared public speeches delivered by the students.

The night came to a head and winners for each category were selected. Winners for each division are listed below:

Art

Juniors:

1. Mia Bryant – Holly Pond

2. Marika Podnecky – East Elementary

3. Sawyer Phillips – East Elementary

3. Chaya Morris – WPIS

Intermediates:

1. Penelope Randall – Homeschool
2. Caleb Bradbury – Homeschool

Chef A

Juniors:

1. Genevieve Speegle – Homeschool
2. Charli Taylor – East Elementary
3. Karsyn Jones – Good Hope

Intermediates:

1. Maggie Keener – Homeschool

Seniors:

1. Lucy Randall – Homeschool
2. Irish Keener – Homeschool

Chef B

Juniors:

1. Coralee Ashley – Fairview
2. Autumn Cook – Fairview
3. Lola Minor – WPIS

Freestyle A

Juniors:

1. Anna Drake – Cullman Christian
2. Selah Sutter – WPIS
3. Hannah Martens – Homeschool

Intermediates:

1. Caleb Bradbury – Homeschool
2. Elijah McAfee – Homeschool

Seniors:

1. Grayson Randall – Homeschool

Freestyle B

Juniors:

1. Nola Gragg – East Elementary

2. Avalea Neighbors – Good Hope

2. Eliza Speciale – East Elementary

3. Kolton Storck – WPIS

Container Gardening

1. Lane Dunn – Homeschool

Blocks Rock!

Juniors:

1. John Knight – Sacred Heart

2. Carley Lynn – Good Hope

2. Rawlston Kilpatric – Good Hope

3. Keaton Marotz – St. Paul’s

Intermediates:

1. Elijah McAfee – Homeschool
2. Christian Bendyna – Holly Pond

Seniors:

1. Grayson Randall – Homeschool

Extreme Birdhouse

Juniors:

1. Kalina Dotson – WPIS
2. Noah Cofield – Homeschool
3. Wyatt Anders – Vinemont

$15 Challenge

Juniors:

1. Scarlet Freyeisen – Homeschool
2. Lauren Mayfield – Holly Pond
3. Isabella Reese – Hanceville

Intermediates:

1. Penelope Randall – Homeschool
2. Tanner Bell – Holly Pond

Graphic Design

Intermediates:

1. Anna Adkins – Homeschool

Public Speaking

Juniors:

1. Matthew Adkins – Homeschool

Seniors:

1. Autumn Adkins – Homeschool
2. Amber Adkins – Homeschool

Cookies

Juniors:

1. Hannah Martens – Homeschool
2. Sawyer Owens – Good Hope
3. Henley Nicholas – East Elementary

Seniors:

1. Laurie Martens – Homeschool
2. Ella McAfee – Homeschool
3. Lucy Randall – Homeschool

Photos

Juniors:

1. John Luke Alcorn – Homeschool
2. Selah Sutter – WPIS
3. Jackson Rollo – West Elementary

In addition to the competition winners, several special recognitions were awarded to highlight outstanding contributions and achievements within the Cullman County 4-H program.

Two teachers were honored as Leaders of the Year for their exceptional support of 4-H in their classrooms. Mark Armstrong of Hanceville Elementary and Melanie Haynes of Good Hope Elementary were recognized with a certificate and a $50 gift card each for their dedication to the program.

In addition, 4-H Officers of the Year were announced, celebrating young leaders who have gone above and beyond in their roles. This year’s honorees were Bella Hamm from Fairview Elementary, Gracelynn Powell from West Point Intermediate School and Tatum Dyer and Matthew Lemus, both from Vinemont.

The 4-H Rookie of the Year award, given to a student who has completed the most projects in 4-H, went to Madelyn Bradley of Parkside School, earning her a free trip to 4-H Summer Camp. Tanner Bell of Holly Pond was named 4-H Member of the Year, finishing second overall in project completions and also earning a trip to summer camp.

With winners announced and every student recognized for their hard work and dedication, Roberts reflected on how the event embodies the larger mission of Alabama 4-H.

“Alabama 4-H uses what we call the Thrive Model to help youth find their ‘spark’ — the thing that really interests them that they may continue into adulthood,” said Roberts. “4-H offers so many different opportunities that youth can try out to find what they really like. Competition is a major part of 4-H to allow youth to practice real-life scenarios like speaking in front of others and failing or succeeding. There is learning either way.”

Roberts encouraged all competitors to take pride in their efforts, regardless of the outcome. “To the competitors, I would say if you feel like you really tried your best, you have already succeeded regardless of whether you earned a ribbon or not. If you have enjoyed 4-H, stick with it! There are amazing leadership opportunities for older youth.”

As the event came to a close, Roberts praised the many people who made the day possible. “As I reflected on the drive home, I realized I forgot to have the kids thank their parents for supporting them and bringing them to the event. I totally meant to do that! Without parental support, this wouldn’t have happened,” she shared.

“I also thank the numerous community volunteers who took time out of their busy schedules to come to support our kids as judges at this event. Another huge thank you goes to Cullman County Parks and Rec for allowing the use of the Ag Center, Cullman United Way for supporting us as a partner agency and the Cullman Lions Club Fair Board, who allow us to borrow staging supplies,” Roberts said. “Everyone in Cullman steps up to help when needed. The biggest thank you goes to my coworkers at the Cullman Extension Office who pull together to make events for youth happen and to my 4-H Youth Council, the older youth present, who led activities for youth.”

For more information on Cullman County 4-H, contact the Cullman County Extension Office at 256-737-9386 or visit their website at www.aces.edu.

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