IN THIS ISSUE:
September/October 2025
President: Carla Jurgenson
Vice President: David Mool
Secretary: Clay Sellmeyer
Business Manager: Doug Turner
Past President: David Jenkins
Bureau County: Vaughn Kiner
Central Illinois: Luke Lemenager
Logan County : Carla Jurgenson
Northern Illinois: Jarad Carroll
South Central: Richard Hurst
Wabash Valley: Shaye Harre
Directors at Large:
Sam Brumleve
Brent Hinkle
T.J. Curtin
Brian Hutchins
Kyle Beutke
Jeff Dameron
Chris Cassady
Clay Sellmeyer
Dan Naughton
Eric McClure
David Mool
Bodee Schlipf
Brad Evans
Tracey Rawlings
ON THE COVER
Illinois exhibitors, Anne Dameron and Reese Anderson, are all smiles while showing their cattle at the North American Junior Angus show this summer.
ON THE BACK COVER
Coehen Kirchner exhibiting his Champion Land of Lincoln and Bred & Owned Angus heifer at the Illinois State Fair. Photo by Devin Bollman.
CONTACT
UPCOMING EVENTS
Visit the Events page at www. illinoisangus.com for a list of
In the News
Road to Recognition: Juniors Earn Stockman Award at National Show
Three juniors earn prestigious Stockman award for standout scores across contests.
Three young cattleman and women proved they had the drive, knowledge and grit to earn one of the 2025 National Junior Angus Show’s most respected honors. The Minix Stockman Contest, renamed in 2022 to honor the late Ed and Wilma Minix of Black Witch Farm, recognizes juniors who compete in the judging contest, quiz bowl written exam and Skill-a-Thon.
On July 4h in Tulsa, Okla., the top individual in each age division was awarded to Avery Mullen of Kansas (Junior Division), Lane Toledo of California (Intermediate Division), and Lauren Wolter of Illinois (Senior Division).
Each winner received a custom belt buckle and cash prize, celebrating not only their achievements, but their future as leaders in the Angus and livestock industries.
Despite stepping away from participating in contest last year to serve as the 2024-2025 Miss American Angus Queen, Wolter was humbled to learn she had still earned the prestigious Stockman Award.
“It was a complete surprise to me,” she said.
Wolter is currently gaining additional experiences in meat judging and research while studying at Kansas State University. “It’s fun to be able to apply what I’m learning in school in the Angus world.”
The Minixes were passionate about empowering youth involved in livestock and helping them become leaders in the agriculture industry. A portion of their estate was donated to the Angus Foundation to benefit juniors who participate in the Stockman Contest and recognize. excellence, dedication, and leadership in the beef industry.
The National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) strives to give juniors future opportunities in the agriculture industry, and their success is made possible through the continued support of the Angus Foundation.
Results of the 2025 NJAS, including shows, contests, awards and scholarships, can be found at www.njas.info. Additional coverage is also available on the NJAA social media channels and in the September issue of the Angus Journal.
Lauren Wolter of Illinois (left) was named one of three winners of the Stockman Contest for their respective age divisions at the 2025 National Junior Angus Show in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Show Results
2025 Junior Show & Angus Breeders' Futurity Roll of Victory (ROV) Show
Louisville, Ky. | June 14-15 | Judges: Mark Davis, Shelbyville, Tenn.(Juniors) & Chad Ellingson, Bismarck, N.D.(ROV)
by Next Level Images
Fourth Overall Owned Champion Female
Johnson Nellie 460
Owned by Curtner Bergmann, Vienna, Ill.
Reserve Senior Champion Female
Seldom Rest Pin Up Gal 3223
Owned by Cody Robert York, Palestine, Ill.
Intermediate Champion Bull W G A Ghost 8M
Owned by Holly Marsh, Earlville, Ill.
2025 Northern Illinois Junior Angus Association Preview Show
Milledgeville, Ill. | June 22 | Judge: Paige Lemenager, Hudson, Ill.
Photos
Photos by Brodie Abney Photography
Grand Champion Bred & Owned Female
CK3 HAWK Sandy L93 Owned by Caylen Kirchner
Grand Champion Owned Female
CK3 HAWK Sandy L83 Owned by Macie Carroll
Grand Champion Steer
EA Diesel 4385
Owned by Aden Egan
Reserve Champion Steer
CK3 Good Times 458
Owned by Coehen Kirchner
Reserve Champion Bred & Owned Female
CK3 HAWK Sandy L88
Owned by Coehen Kirchner
Champion Commercial Heifer Owned by Brea Musser
Champion Crossbred Steer Owned by Allissa Martin
2025 Tennessee State Fair Roll of Victory Angus Show
Lebanon, Tenn. | August 17 | Judge: Tom Hawk, Earlville, Ill.
Reserve Grand Champion Bull
HB Expectation 3012
Owned by Horsley Brothers, Ill., and Wilson-Good Cattle Company, Mo.
Photo by Next Level Images
JUNE 28-JULY 5
Judges: Jeff Gooden, Mo., judged the bred-and-owned heifers and bulls, bred-and-owned and owned cow-calf pairs; Reed Gordon, Mo., assisted with the bred-and-owned heifers and bulls, bred-andowned and owned cow-calf pairs; Charlie Boyd, Ky., judged the owned heifers; Blake Boyd, Ky., assisted with the owned heifers; Scott Greiner, Va., judged the steers; and Ryan Rathmann, Texas, judged the phenotype and genotype bulls and females. Photos by Next Level Images
OWNED FEMALES
Senior Champion Female Division 3
FCF Johnson Missie 365
Owned by Brylie Roberts
Senior Heifer Calf Champion Division 3
PVF Blackcap 4135
Owned by Ashton Dillow
Reserve Senior Champion Female Division 1
KMEM My Little Party Girl
Owned by Breckyn Bloomberg
Third Overall Owned Champion Female
PVF Proven Queen 4087
Owned by Ashton Dillow
Senior Heifer Calf Champion Division 2
Dameron Lucy 4162
Owned by Anne Dameron
Bred & Owned Reserve Intermediate Champion Bull BLB SCC Special
Owned by Brenna Bartlow
Bred & Owned Senior Bull Calf Champion Rhode High Roller 34 Owned by Preston Rhode
Brenna Bartlow
BRED & OWNED STEERS
Reserve Division 1 Bred & Owned PGS Female Parr Barbara 4P39 Owned by Anna Parr
Anne Dameron is the 2025-2026 NJAS Vice Chairman. Pictured here with her dad, Jeff Dameron.
Showmanship Contest
Forty youth from across the country competed for top honors in the 59th annual event. Each of the top five finishers received a cash prize from the Ham James Memorial Fund and a Silver Revere bowl from the American Angus Auxiliary. Judges: Mark Core, Brady Jensen, and Kass Newell.
Fourth Place Overall Showmanship Honors
Illinois Representatives
Adam Miller and Addison Bartlow
Addison Bartlow
Scholarship Presentation
Since 1998, the Angus Foundation has awarded more than $5.3 million in undergraduate and graduate scholarships to Angus youth.
Angus/Talon Undergraduate Scholarships
Gary Brost LEAD Award
From Illinois: Adam Miller (left), Ben Sellmeyer (center)
Stan Prox LEAD Award Anne Dameron presents to Audrey Curtin.
From Illinois: Anne Dameron, Paige Lemenager, Lauren Wolter
All-American Certified Angus Beef Cook-Off
Junior Angus breeders translated their knowledge in the barn to the plate during the 2024 All-American Certified Angus Beef® Cook-Off. The cook-off, put on by the American Angus Auxiliary, encourages young beef enthusiasts to learn more about the end product they are producing for consumers.
Salsa Verde Sirloin: Lydia Leake, Brianna Tebbe and Zane Tebbe, Kelson Kuipers, and Alice Leake
Top Sirloin Medallion Crostini: Blake Wolter, Macie Bartlow, Macie Carroll, Cylee Kirchner, and Grayson Leake
Ella Eathington, and Madaline Bergmann
National Junior Angus Show Awards Ceremony
Junior members showcased their skills beyond the showring by competing in a variety of contests.
Third Place Junior Roast
Second Place Intermediate Roast
Senior Steak First Place/Top Honors
Peanut Butter Burgers: Claire Kuipers, Addison Tebbe,
Third Place Junior Division Graphic Design
Zane Tebbe (right)
First Place Senior Division Creative Writing
Lauren Wolter (left)
Third Place Intermediate Team Sales
Left to right: Jack Sellmeyer, Addison Tebbe, Claire Kuipers
Third Place Junior Division Landscape Photography
Brianna Tebbe (right)
First & Third Place Junior Division Around the Farm Photography
Drew Mickey (left), Zane Tebbe (right)
Second Place Intermediate A Career Development
Claire Kuipers (center)
First Place Senior Career Development
Lauren Wolter (left)
Third Place Junior B Judging Contest
Connor Suits (right)
Second Place Senior Skill-A-Thon Lauren Wolter (center)
First Place Senior Extemporaneous Speaking
Lauren Wolter (left)
Richard L.Spader Award
Lauren Wolter (center)
Second Place Intermediate Quiz Bowl Left to Right: Anna Parr, Madaline Bergmann, Addison Tebbe, Claire Kuipers
Second Place Senior Quiz Bowl
Left to right: Lauren Wolter, Audrey Curtin, Cheyenne Handsaker, Macie Bartlow
First Place Fitting Contest
Left to Right: Connor Suits, Will Miller, Cody York, Adam Miller
Crystal Award Winners
Lauren Wolter (center)
Gold Award Illinois Recipients
Paige Lemenager, Cheyenne Handsaker, Charles Parr
Senior Stockman Contest Winner
Lauren Wolter (right)
Age 7-9 Coloring Contest
Colton Tebbe
2025 Illinois State Fair Roll of Victory Angus Show
Springfield | August 11 | Chris Styles, S.D.
Photos by Cindy’s Livestock Photography
Grand Champion Heifer
Champion Division 2
SCOTTEN Queen Ruth
Owned by Paige Lemenager
Grand Champion Bull
Champion Division 3
SK Patton Tyrus M06
Owned by Grace Lemenager
Champion Division 1
DF Missy F15
Owned by Braden Deal
Reserve Grand Champion Heifer
Champion Division 3
APB - ALL Phyllis 494M
Owned by Addison Bartlow
Reserve Grand Champion Bull, Champion LOL
Champion Division 2
RHODE High Roller 34
Owned by Preston Rhode
Reserve Champion Division 1
FRUHLINGS Reatat 1105
Owned by Travis Fruhling
Reserve Champ Division 4
SULL Lucy 4586M
Owned by Danielle Alberts
Champion Division 4
WBF Princess M23
Owned by Paige Lemenager
Reserve Champion Division 2
DAMERON Northern Miss 41
Owned by Beau Cassady
Herdsman Award
Paige Lemenager
Champion Division 5
APB - ALL Phyllis
Owned by Isabella Morrow
Champ. Land of Lincoln Div. 4
HLC Princess 13M
Owned by Beau Tschantz
Reserve Champion Division 5
Lemenager Northern Miss
Owned by Logan Suits
Reserve Grand Champion Land of Lincoln
Champion Land of Lincoln Division 3
FCF Phyllis 449
Owned by Macie Bartlow
Champion Division 3 Bull
Plum Creek Perspective 41
Owned by Matthew Ewing
Champion Division 1 Bull
MAF King Pin
Owned by Steven Rawlings
Res. Champ. Land of Lincoln Div 4
FCF Sandy 424
Owned by Addison Tebbe
Champion Division 6
Seldon Rest Pin Up Gal 32
Owned by Cody York
Reserve Grand Champion Land of Lincoln Bull
Reserve Grand Champion Land of Lincoln Division 2
DA Sterling 007M
Owned by Mike Dorethy
Grand
Owned by Madison Huls
Reserve
Champion Land of Lincoln Steer
2025 Illinois State Fair
Junior Angus Show
Springfield | August 8
Photos by Cindy’s Livestock Photography
3rd Overall, Champion Land of Lincoln and Bred & Owned Heifer
Champion Angus
CK3 Hawk Sandy L93
Owned by Coehen Kirchner
4th Overall Land of Lincoln Steer
Champion Angus
Owned by Connor Suits
4th Overall Land of Lincoln
Reserve Grand Champion Angus Heifer
PVF Proven Queen 4087
Owned by Ashton Dillow
Reserve Champion Angus Steer
Owned by Brecke Barnard
Leading with Purpose
National Junior Angus Association member Lauren Wolter receives the Jim Baldridge Outstanding Leadership Award
By Ashlyn Murdock, Angus Communications
During one of the final stops on the National Junior Angus Show’s (NJAS) Route 66 road trip, one junior achieved a milestone she has worked towards for years.
From her early days as a 4-H member to FFA speaking contests, from mentorship through the Illinois Junior Angus Association (IJAA) to educational competitions at NJAS and leadership conferences, to her current studies at Kansas State University, each experience helped shape Lauren Wolter of Aviston, Illinois, into the leader she is today. Her dedication and growth culminated in being named the 2025 Jim Baldridge Outstanding Leadership Award recipient.
“My time within the Angus Association has been really impactful for me as a leader,” Lauren Wolter said.
Wolter’s passion for the Angus breed is rooted in family. Her family became first-generation Angus breeders when she was just six months old when they purchased their first Angus heifer.
“What was supposed to be just a youth project for me has exploded into a 500 head seedstock and direct to consumer beef operation known as Windy Hill Meadows,” Wolter explained.
At eight years old, she showed her first Angus heifer, Jewel, at the county fair. Three years later, she entered the ring at NJAS for the first time.
This marked the beginning of her journey in agriculture and first steppingstone in helping build her confidence and skills that would later define her leadership. Her first handson experience in leadership came through her 4-H club.
“It was the first organization I ever held offices in and was where I really learned how to public speak and lead my peers,” she said. “4-H gave me the confidence to run for
positions within my state Angus association and eventually my FFA chapter.”
From these initial experiences of leading 4-H club meetings to being a role model in her state association, Wolter has furthered her involvement in the National Junior Angus Association (NJAA), building on these fundamental skills she learned as a young junior member.
In 2024, Wolter was not holding a gavel running meetings or organizing cattle check-in but rather leading in a red blazer and sash with ruby red stones, as she represented the breed as Miss American Angus. The personal development skills she learned at a young age though 4-H and the mentorship she provided to peers on a state level only grew as she graced the ring at national shows to advocate for the Angus breed and agriculture across the country.
Wolter shared that her favorite part of being Miss American Angus was serving as a role model for young girls in the Angus industry, while also mentoring older girls preparing for college.
“I really enjoyed working with the girls that were trying to figure out what college they were going to go to,” Wolter said. “I was a freshman in college, and I just lived that experience, so it was really fun for me to be like an older sister to those girls.”
Beyond mentorship within the breed, Wolter found fulfillment in sharing her experiences with a wider audience. Her crown gave her a platform to engage with producers and industry professionals, bridging her personal story with broader conversations around the beef industry.
“I love being able to talk about experiences I had in conversations with producers and people in the industry” Wolter said. “It’s rewarding being able to showcase how I've taken my experiences within the Angus Association and been able to make impacts in conversations with people outside of that [world], as well."
While serving as Miss American Angus was a highlight chapter in her Angus story, Wolter’s leadership story can’t be defined by just one role. From contests to conferences, officer positions to mentorship opportunities, each experience within the NJAA has shaped who she is today and has ultimately led her to Kansas State University.
Wolter exhibiting in the Owned Heifer Show at the National Junior Angus Show in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Wolter is currently pursuing a degree in Animal Sciences and Industry with a concentration in Meat Science and plans to pursue a master’s degree in either Meat Science or Agriculture Policy.
When she is not busy in the classroom, you will find her being a leader on campus.
“I feel my leadership skills have truly blossomed [at Kansas State].” Wolter said.
At K-State she is a College of Agriculture Ambassador, an Animal Sciences and Industry Mentor, and is serving as the Government Relations director within the Student Body President's cabinet.
“Serving in this role has allowed me to represent student perspectives in a way that makes an impact as well as share my passion for agriculture with students who are not familiar [with the industry],” Wolter said.
Wolter’s leadership journey in NJAA has shaped not only her skills, but also her vision for the future. She sees herself as a bridge between science and communication.
“I want to be someone that’s intelligent enough to understand things from research and a science perspective but is a strong enough communicator to make it valuable to the industry and beyond,” Wolter said.
As she looks ahead, Wolter remains committed to using her voice and experiences to make a lasting difference in the agriculture industry. With a foundation built on experiences, opportunities and leadership, and an outlook focused on
advocacy for agriculture, Wolter exemplifies the mission and purpose of the Jim Baldridge Outstanding Leader Award, recognizing a junior member for their involvement and supporting their future in agriculture.
This award is considered one of the most prestigious recognitions in the NJAA, one that is awarded to a special junior each year. The winner must submit an application that encapsulates a diversity of leadership and involvement experiences both within and outside of the NJAA.
Knowing the prestige of this award, Lauren set earning the title as a goal during her junior career but realized this accomplishment would take time and dedication to develop a winning application.
“It's not the easiest thing in the world to win,” Wolter said. “So, I really kind of waited until the time was right and it felt like I would have the right material and the right type of things to be able to put on my application to feel really confident when I sent it in.”
This award is in tribute to the late Jim Baldridge and his devotion to helping Angus youth through the NJAA. Bill and Betty Werner of Werner Angus in Cordova, Illinois, donated $50,000 to the Angus Foundation in 2013. Their donation created a permanent fund that awards a $5,000 scholarship each year to the winner of the NJAA’s Outstanding Leadership Award. This award, first established in 1998, recognizes one exceptional NJAA member each year for their leadership in Angus.
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