The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Collegiate Soils Team took third place in the 65th annual Region 3 Collegiate Soils Contest, held on October 18-21.
The event was held in Champaign, Piatt, and McClean counties in Illinois and was hosted by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Participating in the event were 68 students from seven universities: UW-Stevens Point, Purdue University, Southern Illinois University, Grand Valley State University, UW-Platteville, The Ohio State University, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
The event involves an intensive field study of soils and landscapes. It culminates in individual and group competitions, which test the contestant’s abilities to accurately describe soil and landscape features and classify the soil using a scientific system called Soil Taxonomy. The contestants also determine limitations of the soil for specific land uses, such as building sites, roads, and septic systems based on specific soil properties, and indicate if the soil meets the criteria of hydric soil for wetland determinations.
Scoring is based on the agreement between the contestant’s descriptions and those of a professional soil scientist serving as the contest official. Illinois State Soil Scientist Ron Collman, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Scott Wiesbrook, from the Illinois Natural History Survey, served as the contest officials.
By placing among the top three teams, UW-Stevens Point qualifies for the National Collegiate Soils Contest to be held in Spring 2023 in Oklahoma. The team is coached by Bryant Scharenbroch, a professor of soil and waste resources.
UW-Stevens Point students participating in the event were:
- Allison McCann*, Soil Science and Land Management
- Candra Carter*, Soil Science and Land Management
- Casey Baye, Natural Resource Planning
- Celia Puleo, Soil Science and Land Management
- Chase Propson, Undecided
- Claire Jensen*, Soil Science and Land Management
- Grace Kober, Environmental Science and Management
- Kiersten Block, Soil Science and Land Management
- Lucas VandeWalle, Soil Science and Land Management
- Markie Verhasselt*, Soil Science and Land Management
- Meagan O’Neil, Environmental Science and Management and Soil Science and Land Management
- Nathan Stremcha*, Soil Science and Land Management
- Sean Buhler*, Ecosystem Restoration and Management
- Trista Rumppe, Soil Science and Land Management
- Gregor Willms*, Soil Science and Land Management
- Emily Gilberston*, Soil Science and Land Management
*Individual Overall results for UWSP students included McCann third, Stremcha 11th, Verhasselt 18th, Jensen 19th, Carter 20th, Willms 22nd, Buhler 25th, and Gilbertson 42nd.