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OSU Soil Judging Team sets sights on nationalsOklahoma
The focus of Oklahoma State University's Soil Judging Team has turned to this spring's national competition in Springfield, Mo., after qualifying to compete by placing second overall at the recent Regional Collegiate Soil Judging Contest in Arkansas. Both competitions are sponsored by the Soil Science Society of America and provide very real benefits for participants by allowing students to put into action the knowledge they have gained in the classroom and laboratory, as they will one day need to do in their professional careers. "The competitions are an opportunity for students to apply their expertise in describing, classifying and interpreting field-identified soil properties," said Brian Carter, coach and a professor of soil morphology in the OSU department of plant and soil sciences. A demanding and rigorous challenge as participants must determine suitability of soils for crop production, water storage and recharge, rural and urban development, and roadway and building construction. Selected physical and chemical analyses are provided for each field evaluation site. OSU soil judgers Jason Ray, Brian Williams and Eric Shaw earned third-high, fourth-high and seventh-high individual honors, respectively, against 25 total judgers from six different universities at the regional competition in Monticello, Ark. Teammate Alicia Norton won the individual soil texturing contest by determining the correct sand, silt and clay percentage for five unknown samples using the "feel" method. A 2004 graduate of Kingfisher High School, Norton is an OSU senior majoring in environmental sciences. She is also earning a minor in soil science. Her parents are Art and Karen Norton of Kingfisher. Ray, a 2005 graduate of Wanette High School, is an OSU senior majoring in soil science. He is the son of Joe and Linda Ray of Wanette. Shaw, a 2006 graduate of Antlers High School, is an OSU junior majoring in plant and soil sciences with a soil and water resources option. He is the son of Gary and Dottie Shaw of Antlers. Williams, a 2003 graduate of Dickson High School, is an OSU senior majoring in plant and soil sciences. He is the son of Jim and Jerrie Williams of Ardmore. "These students are great and deserve our support," said Carter, who is assisted in his coaching responsibilities by Travis Conley. A 2003 graduate of Hooker High School, Conley earned his bachelor's degree in soil science from the OSU College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources in May 2008. He is currently pursuing his master's degree in plant and soil sciences at OSU. The OSU Soil Judging Team travels to the regional contest each fall, hosted by a school in Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas or Oklahoma. "Competitions provide many benefits, and also allow our team members to meet and interact with students from other institutions, thereby learning about similar soil science programs across the nation," Carter said. Dave Porter, head of the OSU department of plant and soil sciences, said team judging activities are a fun way in which agriculture students can hone their skills for a variety of professional careers. "Taking part in teams and clubs foster a great learning environment for our students," he said. "Roll in a little competition with teams from other universities and the focus and intensity of our students increases dramatically, which can be very beneficial to our students and the university." Porter said the benefits have been noticed beyond the classroom, citing the support given to the team by the Professional Soil Science Association of Oklahoma. 12/8/08 Date: 12/2/08
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