Delaware teens take third at National LifeSmarts Competition – The team was the highest finishing 4-H team in the country.
SAN DIEGO – For the second year in a row the State of Delaware was represented well in the National LifeSmarts Competition, held this year in San Diego, California at the Hyatt Mission Bay Spa and Marina April 18-21. This year’s team went all the way to the National semi-finals, taking third place overall.
LifeSmarts is the nation’s premier consumer program. According to their website, lifesmarts.org, “LifeSmarts provides real-world education for students who learn about core consumer topics and develop critical thinking skills. Participants focus on five key topic areas: consumer rights and responsibilities, the environment, health and safety, personal finance, and technology. The goal of LifeSmarts is to create consumer savvy young people who will be well equipped for adult life in today’s complex global marketplace.”
This year marked the 30th Anniversary of LifeSmarts and the contest featured 47 teams made of 230 students from across the United States.
The team, made up of five Sussex County youth, included Carter Bradley of Laurel, Emily Davis from Bethany Beach, Kaitlyn Kopf of Ocean View and Edwin and Sophia Noon, both of Selbyville. Bradley and the Noons are seniors at Sussex Academy in Georgetown while Davis and Kopf are both freshman at Indian River High School in Dagsboro.
The teens, representing Sussex County 4-H, won a state competition held earlier in the year in Harrington. Their win earned them a trip to San Diego. They were coached by Rebecca Johnson and her husband Keith. The team’s trip was sponsored by Discover Bank.
“We had an outstanding group of teenagers compete and represent Delaware 4-H. They competed extremely well and we were ecstatic with their success, unending perseverance, drive, and dedication throughout the competition,” said Rebecca Johnson. “They were consistently positive and never gave up. They were excited yet humble as they progressed through each level of competition.”
At the National Championship, the team competed against high schools, youth groups and other organizations. They were the highest finishing 4-H team at the event and were also the only team in the semi-finals to compete with freshman.
It was just the second time Delaware has sent a team. Last year’s team also made the Sweet 16. The 2024 team however, entered the final stages ranked 14th overall and became the lowest seeded team to make the semi-finals. They did that in part to strong buzzer rounds, similar to a quiz-bowl style contest.
“The growth that I witnessed as a coach since September has been remarkable,” added Johnson. “They went from shy individuals who barely wanted to ring in to answer to a team of individuals with confidence in themselves. They acquired so much knowledge from our practices. Keith and I could not be prouder of them and are grateful for the opportunity to serve as their coaches.”
Before the team even arrived in San Diego, they had competitions they completed virtually. These included creating an Instagram Reel about the dangers of over-the-counter medicine and several online test sessions. Including some onsite competition, the team was ranked 27th out of 47 teams after three rounds. A speed round of rapid-fire questions didn’t go well and the team dropped all the way to 31st. They however never doubted themselves.
“I knew once we got to the buzzer rounds, we could really make up some ground,” said Bradley. “We have a lot of knowledge as a team and are pretty quick about buzzing in.”
As if he predicted it, the team then catapulted in the rankings. They topped Kentucky (140-40) and Texas (120-80.) The team jumped to 15th overall. On Saturday April 23, the team faced off with Oklahoma in the final competition before seeding. They came out with a 175-85 win. That win moved them up one spot to 14th and gave them a shot at the finals.
Later that day in a single-elimination round Delaware topped No. 3 Washington D.C. 140-135. With just eight teams remaining they topped No. 6 Idaho 145-110 and cemented their place among the final four teams. The run ended there however as they fell to a high school team from Washington, 220-190.
For finishing third each member of the team received a $750 college scholarship and a $50 gift card from Amazon, who was one of the presenting sponsors of the event.
While the competition schedule was rigid, the team did get a chance to take in the famed San Diego Zoo as well as trips to Sunset Cliffs Beach, and Balboa and Belmont Parks.
Edwin Noon, who served as team captain was grateful for the experience. “My experience at the National LifeSmarts competition taught me about real topics and real skills. And I had real fun while doing all of that.”
Sussex County 4-H will look to field a team again next year. All three seniors will be unable to compete so a search for their replacements will begin in the August when they host county-wide information sessions. For more information contact Jill Jackson, Extension Educator III, University of Delaware, at 302-831-3290 or by email at jackson@udel.edu