Members of the SIU Soil Judging team stand in a group and smiling. A young man in the middle is seen holding a large rock.

Members of the SIU Soil Judging team who finished second at the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) competition in Modesto, California, include, left to right: Amanda Weidhuner, faculty adviser, Paige Steber, Thomas Stamberger, Matt Koester (rear), Riley McNelis, Lance Mitchell, Kate Baker, and Heidi Brooks. (Photo provided)

June 07, 2023

Down to earth: SIU soil judging team places second in national event

by Tim Crosby

CARBONDALE, Ill. – A team of up-and-coming soil scientists from Southern Illinois University Carbondale placed second in a national soil judging competition recently.

The SIU Soil Judging team took the No. 2 spot in April at the 2023 North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) competition in Modesto, California, besting teams from other universities from around the country. The conference was open to all two-year and four-year schools with NACTA membership.

Soil judging helps students develop skills to identify and interpret different soil types, its properties, landscape features for various land uses. Judges evaluated participants at four sites.

Several team members also won individual awards, including Lance Mitchell, a senior in forestry from Olney, Illinois, third place; and Thomas Stamberger, a senior in crop, soil and environmental management from LaMoille, Illinois, fourth place.

Other team members included: Riley McNelis, senior in forestry from Serena, Illinois; Paige Steber, senior in crop, soil, and environmental management from Olney, Illinois; Matthew Koester, senior in crop, soil, and environmental management from Red Bud, Illinois; Kate Baker, senior in crop, soil, and environmental management from Neoga, Illinois; and Heidi Brooks, senior in forestry from Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Faculty advisers are Sam Indorante, instructor with the School of Agricultural Sciences; Amanda Weidhuner, researcher with the STEM Education Research Center, and Eric Brevik, dean of the College of Agricultural, Life, and Physical Sciences.