The University of Nebraska–Lincoln Soil Judging Team took runner-up overall at the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Soil Judging Contest April 22–25 hosted by Illinois State University.
The Huskers competed near Normal, Illinois, in the 4-year division against 15 universities from across the United States. The team included Adrian Cox, a senior integrated science – sustainable food systems major; Sydney Honacker, a junior fisheries and wildlife and environmental science major; Promise “PJ” Smeal, a junior plant and landscape systems major; Anna Newcome a senior environmental science and plant biology major; and junior environmental science majors Diego Sanchez and Lara Arnold. Cox placed third individually out of 90 students.
Newcome and Cox are graduating this May and have participated on the team for three years, competing in six different contests across the U.S. They have also served as Registered Student Organization officers for the last two years.
Students in soil judging competitions evaluate soil physical properties and site characteristics, then translate those observations into land-use recommendations. The experience also provides valuable hands-on field training — an essential skill for soil scientists, agronomists and land managers.
The team has been coached by Turk, a pedologist with the Conservation and Survey Division in the School of Natural Resources, and Young, an associate professor of practice in agronomy and horticulture, since 2017. This academic year, the team added assistant coaches Eroshenko, a master’s student, and Subora, a doctoral student, both in natural resource science.
