Terrapin soil judgers place first overall and qualify for nationals – heading to Wisconsin in 2025
Back row L to R: Sage Greiner, Kelsey Genovese, Emma Price, Cole Chapman, Ellie Rogers, Andrew Weiss, Spencer Goldberg; Front row L to R: Tyler Demory, Tyler Paris, Xandr Zabel, Emily O’Neill, and Zie Goodman.
The Maryland Soil Judging Team had an impressive victory on Friday October 18th at the 2024 Northeast Regional Soil Judging contest hosted by the University of Rhode Island. The Terps took 1st place in group judging and had five students placed in the top 10 out of 70 students competing, leading them to a 1st place overall finish. The victory qualifies the team to compete in the 2025 National Soil Judging Contest to be held in Stevens Point, Wisconsin this spring. The five Maryland judgers who placed in the top ten were: 4th Cole Chapman, 6th Andrew Weiss, 7th Ellie Rogers, 9th Tyler Demory, and 10th Spencer Goldberg, with six additional judgers—Nickolas Kioutas, Emily O’Neill, Zie Goodman, Kelsey Genovese, Emma Price, and Tyler Paris—coming in the top 25. Additional team members were Noah Chang, Sage Grenier, Hannah Moore, and Zandr Zabel. The team was coached by Dr. Brian Needelman from the Department of Environmental Science and Technology (ENST), assisted by player-coach Nickolas Kioutas.
To “judge” a soil, students spend one hour in a 5-foot-deep pit describing the characteristics of the various layers that have developed in the soil, the soil’s ability to transmit and retain water and support roots, the geological history of the site, the long-term processes of soil development, the classification of the soil, and the potential challenges of using the soil for various land uses. Students are then scored on the accuracy of their answers in comparison to a description done by a team of professional soil scientists.
Soil judging brings out many essential elements of career preparation that are difficult to replicate in a classroom. Soils in the field rarely match our textbook descriptions, they offer complications that confuse even the best soil scientists. Students are put into a high-pressure, high-stakes situation and must work both individually and collaboratively to tackle this complex problem. To succeed, students not only need to develop the skills to execute but the ability to function as a member of a team that can endure and thrive through long workdays, varying weather, and all the challenges associated with fieldwork.
This year’s contest was held nearby Kingston, Rhode Island. The soils were formed in parent materials consisting of wind-blown loess, glacial outwash, glacial till, ice-contact stratified deposits, and human-transported materials. In the contest, students judged three Dystrudepts (Inceptisols), a Densiudept (an Inceptisol with a dense till parent material), and an Epiaquod (a Spodosol).
Soil Judging is growing rapidly globally. This contest set records for the number of both schools and students participating in a Northeast Regional Contest. The University of Rhode Island, the University of Delaware, Penn State, and Delaware Valley University came in places 2nd through 5th, qualifying them to join Maryland to represent the Northeast Region at the National Contest in 2025. Six other universities from the northeast region competed: Alfred State University, Brooklyn College, Brown University, Fredonia College, Stockton University, and the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. The contest was organized by Dr. Mark Stolt.
