June 2, 2022
K-State Crops and Soils Judging teams complete successful spring season
The Kansas State University Crops and Soils Judging teams competed in the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Judging Conference in early April. The conference, in North Platte, Nebraska, was hosted by the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture. Forty-two four-year and two-year schools competed in 13 contest areas with over 500 students and faculty members in attendance.
The Crops Judging Team competed in three events, placing first in precision agriculture and second in the crops contest and the ag knowledge bowl. The Soils Judging Team took second place in the soils contest.
Members of the Crops Team were Evan Bott, Palmer; Jaden Strohl, Cunningham; Kel Grafel, Oberlin; and Austin Hobbs, Buffalo. All are seniors majoring in agronomy. Alternate members of the Crops Team were Macy Hoskinson agricultural education, Hutchinson; Josie Harris, animal sciences and industry, Burrton; and Grant Graber, agronomy, Wichita. Graber was also an alternate in precision agriculture. The knowledge bowl team members were Harris, Bott, Strohl, Grafel and Hobbs.
In the precision agriculture contest, Bott placed second overall, first in component identification, second in problem-solving and third in lab practical. Strohl was the third-place individual, tying for first in component identification and receiving second in both the lab practical and exam. Hobbs placed fifth overall and second in the exam. Grafel placed fifth in both math and lab.
In the crops contest, Bott was the second-highest individual, placing first in the math practical, second in the lab practical and fourth in identification. Grafel was fifth place overall, tying for second in lab practical and receiving fourth in the agronomic exam. Strohl placed fifth in the lab practical.
In the soils contest, Emily Kovar, an agronomy and environmental science major from Lenexa, was fourth overall individual and placed first on one of the four soil pits evaluated. Jacoby Kerr, an agronomy student from Manhattan, placed 10th. Additional members of the second-place team in the soils contest were Sydney Baughman, agricultural education, Moberly, Missouri, and Isaiah Euler, geology, Overland Park. Alternate members competing in soils were Evan Hutley, wildlife and outdoor enterprise management, Maple Hill; Kaitlyn Peters, agronomy, Lakin; Shelby Richard, agronomy, Tucson, Arizona; and Braden Hudelson, agronomy and environmental science, Lenexa.
The judging conference concluded the spring competition season for the K-State teams. Earlier in the season, the Crops Judging Team placed second in the West Texas A&M Invitational Contest in February at Canyon, Texas, and second in the KACTA Regional Contest at Kansas State University in March.
The Crops Team was coached by Kevin Donnelly, professor of agronomy. The Soils Team was coached by DeAnn Presley, professor of agronomy, and Colby Moorberg, associate professor of agronomy. Agronomy graduate students Luke Ryan, Solomon, and Sarah Zerger, Abilene, assisted with the Crops Team. The Soils Team assistant coach was Kendra Stahl, New Washington, Ohio.