MANHATTAN — Two teams from Ellsworth County competed at the 10th annual Kansas Entrepreneurship Challenge at Kansas State University April 20, where both walked away with top accolades and prizes.

Layton Leiker of Leiker Lures won Ellsworth’s competition Feb. 20 and advanced to state. Thaddeus, Cruz and Owen Donley of Donley Business Ventures, LLC entered the Wild Card competition, where they qualified to compete at the state level with their lawn care and real estate development concept.

Leiker, a student at Ellsworth Jr./Sr. High School, snagged a firstplace finish at the trade show and won $1,000.

The Donley brothers were awarded a finalist rating and won $1,700.

Both teams competed against more than 70 state-qualified entries. Teams were judged based on their executive summary, a series of mock board room panels and a trade show.

“Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge is an amazing program that is creating entrepreneurs, future business owners and leaders in our community,” said Stacie Schmidt, local YEC event coordinator and executive director of Grow Ellsworth County. “I was immensely proud of Layton, Thad, Cruz and Owen who represented Ellsworth County well and put in the work and effort. This community should be proud. Our future is bright!”

Leiker’s project consisted of hand-crafted fishing lures.

“First of all, I am very glad that I was able to represent Ellsworth County in the statewide Kansas Entrepreneurship Challenge,” Leiker said. “Secondly, I would like to thank everyone who has supported me or my business in one way or another. From business mentors to family and friends, I have had as much encouragement and support as possible. Finally, I would like to specifically shout out Stacie for all the hard work she has done for the Ellsworth County Youth Entrepreneurship as a whole and specifically how much she has developed me in my business and countless other skills I have learned along the way.”

The event was organized by Kansas State University’s Center for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship.

“This event is an opportunity to showcase the tremendous entrepreneurial talent we have in the state of Kansas,” said Chad Jackson, director of the Center for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship.“The real-world experience of pitching a business in front of the type of business experts we have on our panel is invaluable to these students and provides real-world feedback and support to launch companies within our state.”

In addition to winners from Ellsworth County, Avery Obermueller, Lincoln, and Keeli Knobbee, Sylvan Grove, won the top prize of $3,000 in the competition.