Eleven young women and men are competing for three positions on the 2021 Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA) Youth Leadership Team. The competition will be held Jan. 25 and 26 in Des Moines. Winners will be named at an evening banquet on Jan. 26.

The Youth Leadership Team is designed for those who are passionate about the pork industry. Contestants are seniors in high school or college students up to age 20 at the time of the event. Candidates will be judged on their knowledge about pork and pig production as shown in a speech presentation, personal interview, media interview, experience, and a written test about the topics.

The female contestant with the highest score will automatically be crowned Iowa Pork Queen, and receives a $4,000 scholarship, plaque, crown and sash. Two other applicants will become Premier Pork Youth Ambassadors; they each receive a $4,000 scholarship and plaque. All three will assist with state pork promotional and educational activities throughout 2021.

Contestants, their hometowns and counties are:

Youth Applicant	Hometown	County
Kiley Allan	Le Mars	Plymouth County
Paige Dagel	Sanborn	O’Brien County
Reagan Gibson	Panora	Guthrie County
Adele Hogan	Monticello	Jones County
Eric Keller	Gladbrook	Tama County
Brooklyn Kucera	Bryant	Clinton County
Leah Marek	Riverside	Washington County
Macy Loecke	Manchester	Delaware County
Olivia Marek	Riverside	Washington County
Zoe Reffitt	Dunlap	Harrison County
Emily Wulfekuhle	Earlville	Delaware County

Current members of the Youth Leadership Team are Abby Bean, Marathon; Caleb Hogan, Monticello; and Alexis Berte, Algona.