A Shelby High School student and a recent Shelby graduate took top honors at the Ohio State Fair in very different categories. Cameron Smeadly took the overall trophy in a cake decorating category and Kristen Wasilewski took outstanding in her livestock class.
Cameron, a sophomore, has a knack for decorating cakes and she didn’t even know it, until she won top honors at The Ohio State Fair last week in the beginner’s youth cake decorating competition.
“Before this project I had never decorated any cake before, so I really didn’t know anything about it,” said the 15-year-old, who is a member of the Richland County Bibs and Boots Club. “I didn’t find it that difficult. I thought it was really fun.”
Cameron said she loves to bake cookies, muffins and other sweet treats. “So, I decided I would take this project because I wanted to try out cake decorating and see how that worked.”
Things ended up working extremely well for Cameron as she won the overall clock trophy in her class (beginner senior cake decorating). The clock trophy is the highest award one can win in the competition. In addition to the clock trophy, she also won the 4-H Outstanding Exhibitor of the Day ribbon.
It took approximately four hours from start to finish to bake and decorate the cake with plenty of cooling time in-between, she said.
“Around the sides of (the cake) I did a basket weave so that it looks like a basket,” she said. “And then I filled the top of it with roses and little vines and leaves so that it looked like there were a bunch of flowers coming out of the basket.”
Cameron said she used homemade frosting to intricately decorate the yellow cake. Fondant icing, which is a more firm and flexible type of frosting, can be used in higher levels of competition, she said.
The cake is judged on how well the cake is decorated, how well the frosting technique is put together – if the colors bleed together or not, for example – and her general knowledge of how the cake is made.
Cameron said she feels “awesome” to win the clock trophy because she’s never really won anything “major” before. She also said she wants to thank her mother and father Jeffery and Tiffany, and younger brother, Gabriel, 12, for their support.
Recent Shelby High School graduate Kristen also did very well at the state fair last week. She won the Outstanding Market Exhibitor Award, “which is a combination of showmanship, skill-a-thon, and market classes.” She will also attend the Sale of Champions.
“We took our market lambs and our breeding sheep down to the fair,” the 18-year-old said. “We participated in the commercial ewe lamb show, the Junior Market Show and the Open Show.”
The judges look for heavy muscle, natural width, square through hips, big racked, structurally sound, big topped, level topped, and the correct amount of finish/fat, Kristen explained. “The judge’s job is to pick something that’s going to best serve the consumers need,” she added.
Showing livestock has always been a passion for Kristen.
“It’s something I find to be very interesting and I have gained so much knowledge whether it be showing or judging livestock.”
Being in 4-H and FFA has taught Kristen about herself and the agriculture industry, she said. “I have learned about hard work, dedication, responsibility and passion.”
Kristen, who will study early childhood education at The Ohio State University Mansfield, said winning the Outstanding Market Exhibitor Award was a great way to end her senior year.
“I know my job is not complete yet,” she said. “I hope to return and give back someday so that other sheep exhibitors, 4H and FFA members can have a wonderful experience just as I did.”
Follow Angel N. Ross-Taylor on Twitter @angelnichole222
“Before this project I had never decorated any cake before, so I really didn’t know anything about it,” said Cameron Smeadly, 15. She is a member of the Richland County Bibs and Boots Club.
