Daily Pioneer News

The UW-Platteville soils judging team won a national soils contest April 16. Pictured are (left to right) coach Roger Higgs, students Kris Weiskircher, Chris Keil, Dennis Vollmer and Amanda Abing, and coach Chris Baxter.

PLATTEVILLE - The University of Wisconsin-Platteville soils judging team continues its tradition as one of the top teams in the country. The UWP group recently competed at two national soil-judging competitions, placing first overall at an April competition.

At the National Association of College Teachers of Agriculture contest held April 14-16 in Norfolk, Neb., UW-Platteville bested a team from Purdue University to take home top honors. It was the second year in a row UWP won the title at the NACTA competition. Other UW System schools were also among the top contenders, with UW-River Falls taking third place honors and UW-Stevens Point finishing in fourth place. UWP team members included Dennis Vollmer, Mt. Calvary; Chris Kiel, Whitewater; Amanda Abing, Lancaster; and Kristopher Weiskircher, Shullsburg. Vollmer paced all competitors, taking first place overall in the individual competitions, with Kiel also performing exceptionally, placing second overall.

The UWP soils judging team also did well at the National Collegiate Soils contest held at Auburn University April 3-8. Facing stiff competition from teams from Virginia Tech University and University of Arizona, the UWP team placed third in group judging and fifth overall. Jake Engelke, Belmont, was UWP's top performer, placing fifth individually. Other team members included Vollmer; Eric Riedeman, Brandon; Bethany Schultz, East Troy; Katie Knuth, Fall Creek; Steve Steinhoff, Cuba City; Brent Wiest, Cassville; and Kristine Adams, Lancaster.

The UWP soils judging team was coming off a national championship at the NCS competition in 2004, and the group has won 11 national titles since 1976. This year's team was coached by Chris Baxter, an assistant professor of agronomy, and Roger Higgs, a retired UWP agriculture professor.

Contact: Chris Baxter, assistant professor of agronomy, 608-342-1388,baxterch@uwplatt.edu Prepared by: Jodi McDermott, UWP ag student coordinator, 608-342-1366 mcdermoj@uwplatt.edu; and Dan Lehnherr, UWP Public Relations, 608-342-1194, lehnherd@uwplatt.edu