Daily Pioneer News

PLATTEVILLE - The University of Wisconsin-Platteville recently competed in the American Society of Agronomy Region III Collegiate Soils competition hosted by Illinois State University in Normal, Ill. Forty-six students comprising 10 teams from five universities participated in the competition. The contest consists of four individual sites and two group-judged sites where students describe, classify and evaluate soil for specific land uses. Participants are scored based on the agreement between their soil descriptions and those of professional soil scientists. Overall team scores are determined by summing the top three of four scores for each team at each individual site, plus the two group-judged sites.

UW-Platteville placed second in the overall competition with a score of 2,897 points. Purdue University placed first with a score of 2,955 and third place went to the University of Illinois with a score of 2,787. All three of these teams qualify for the National Soils Competition hosted by California Polytechnic University in San Luis Obispo, Calif. Katie Knuth, Fall Creek, placed first in the individual competition with a score of 863. Four other students from UWP placed within the top 10 individuals, they were: Brent Wiest, Cassville, third; Kristopher Weiskircher, Shullsburg, seventh; Bethany Schultz, East Troy, ninth; and Christopher Keil, Whitewater, 10th. Other participants from UWP included Steve Steinhoff, Cuba City; Kristine Adams, Lancaster; Amanda Abing, Lancaster; Alyson Leahy, Shullsburg; Bryan Schoeny, Shannon,Ill.; Jeremy Flikkema, Lanark, Ill.; Emily Pedley, Shullsburg; and Ben Ritchie, Darlington. The team is coached by Chris Baxter, assistant professor of soil and crop science. This is the 34th straight year that the UWP soils team has qualified for the American Society of Agronomy National Soils competition.

Contact: Christopher Baxter, assistant professor and extension nutrient management specialist, UW-Platteville, 342-1388,baxterch@uwplatt.edu