Satnan: Super Teen competition makes farm chores fun

It typically is hard to find kids working so hard to have such a good time.

On Sunday evening, 40 youths involved in agriculture gathered in the Coliseum on the Missouri State Fairgrounds to take part in a farm-based throwdown known as Super Teens. The 10 teams of four competitors — two boys and two girls — were comprised of youth active in 4-H or Future Farmers of America who are exhibiting in some way during the Missouri State Fair.

What is really cool is that the teams are not from specific towns or chapters; they are built during the fair, as teens meet peers who they are competing with or who they’ve made friends with through fair activities. Jennifer Potter, of Chillicothe, wife of event superintendent Gaylen Potter, said each year they see a lot of “repeaters.”

“Some kids were just inched out (the previous year), so they come back to prove they can win,” she said.

The first event for the boys was the hay bale toss for height, while the girls tossed bales for distance. Tyler Haerr, 17, of Taylor, had a built-in advantage over his male competitors, due to his 6-foot-5 frame. The high jump-style bar was set at 7 feet to start the competition, and I was certain he was going to raise up with the 42-pound bale and slam dunk it, a la Shaquille O’Neal. Instead, he went with a more traditional approach, swinging the bale at hip level and then launching it.

Tyler’s main competition would be Jade Morgan, 15, of Lamar, who opted to use more of a shot put technique. Both styles proved effective, as Tyler and Jade went bale-for-bale until the bar reached 10 feet, 10 inches. Jade’s toss just tipped the bar, knocking it off, while Tyler cleared it with plenty to spare. Tyler cleared 11 feet for good measure and gave his team the early lead.

The first few competitors in the toss for distance probably wish they had gone after Audrey Thrasher, 18, of Macon, who introduced a bowling-style technique that gave her an early lead (distance does not mean just “flight time,” it includes the roll). Shari Brunner of Centralia tossed her bail 25 feet, 5 inches to take first place.

Gaylen had told me before the event that he wanted to incorporate “modern” challenges, but I never would have guessed he would combine fence-post driving with text messaging. Each competitor had to drive two fence posts to a prescribed depth, then text a 10-word message to a judge’s phone.

Some of the teens thought this would be a breeze, but they didn’t take into consideration how their hands would feel after speed-slamming a post driver for about 45 seconds. But Dylan Massa, 16, of Lamar, smoked the competition, even with a five-second penalty for not using his gloves while driving his posts.

I truly thought the insurance waivers were going to come into play during the two-person hay bale stacking event. One team member climbed over a section of fencing while the other tossed five hay bales over that same fence. The first competitor then stacked the bales, with the second team member climbing the fence and helping after all the bales were over.

Merlet Ann Jaster, 19, of Concordia, plunked teammate George Krongage, 18, in the head with one of her bale tosses. The feat was reprised in the next group, as Jayde Schilling, 15, of Kirksville, whacked Shelby Dunseth, 19, of Bevier, with a bale.

The event closed with the obstacle course, which started with one member crawling through culvert tubing and included one teammate being rolled in a tractor tire across the arena floor and the team making the return trip pushing a large roll of hay.

Did I mention that one team member had to carry a water balloon through all of this?

Maggie Massey, 16, of Butler, assured me that many of the tasks in the competition are regular chores for many of the competitors.

“Driving posts, moving hay, that is all stuff we do all the time,” she said, still catching her breath after her obstacle course run.

She also said that since her team was reserve champion last year, she was gunning for grand champion this go-around with her new group.

But that blue ribbon eluded her again; she and her teammates — Jade, Dylan and Blaine Domer, 17, of Nevada, finished in second. The winners were Tyler and his crew: Elizabeth Otte, 15, of St. Genevieve; Roth McElain, 17, of Palmyra; and Kathryn Coon, 17, of Bethel.

Maggie said she would be back to compete again next year for sure, because she enjoys the competition and the chance to meet new friends. And to put in another night of hard work in her quest for that blue ribbon.