The 2024 Avian Bowl 4-H State Qualifier Contest was held during the Greater Society of Poultry Fanciers' Show at the Fresno Fairgrounds on Saturday, February 24, 2024.
The 2024 Avian Bowl State Champion Team is led by Zuzu H., Ean R., Samuel B., and Melanie S. from Ventura County 4-H. They were supported by their coach, Kitty Beckmann, and Teen Assistant Coach Ashley P.
From Tense Moments to Triumph
“My name is Samuel Belik. I am 14 years old. I started competing in avian bowl competitions when I was 9. I have played on several teams, most recently the Squabblers. This year was my first year to compete as a senior level avian bowler. After a long anticipated wait for the new manuals to come in the mail, my team worked for many weeks studying hard to prepare for the contest. We were feeling pretty nervous before the competition. After a pretty smooth competition, the game suddenly ended with the most nerve wracking round that I have ever played before"
"In the final round, on the final question of the game, my team was down 10 points. Even my coaches thought we would not be able to come back with just one 5 point question to go. Then Dr. Bradley asked the final question of the round, and the other team's captain managed to buzz in first. All seemed lost, but then she was unable to answer fast enough, giving my team a chance to tie up the game. My teammates Zuzu, Ean and I realized that if our teammate, Melanie, could answer this question, we could do better than tie the game and earn a last minute bonus question. On the other hand, not answering within seconds would lose us the entire game. I was attempting to count to three before buzzing in to give Melanie a chance at the buzzer. In a feat of teamwork, my teammates had the same thought, and Melanie came through and answered the question correctly, tying the game, and earning the bonus! We answered the bonus correctly as well and ended the game with a score of 20-30, ten points ahead instead of ten points behind. We had won!!"
"My teammates and I are very excited to be representing California at nationals in Louisville, Kentucky in November.” - Samuel
