In a rebuilding year, after graduation of all of the 2019 team followed by two years without soils competitions due to COVID, we are especially proud of our Terrapin Team!
2022 UMD Soil Judging Team (L to R): Jordan Kim (Asst. Coach), Ashlyn Hill, Mariano Dessardo, Sonya Matlack, Prof. Martin Rabenhorst (Coach), Hayley Welzant, Jack Murphy, Madelyn Haines, Isabelle Dallam, Jocelyn Wardrup (Asst. Coach).
The University of Maryland Terrapins had another “Final Four appearance” at the 60th National Collegiate Soils Competition held on April 23 and 24, in Marysville, Ohio where it was hosted by Ohio State University. Competition was stiff among twenty one universities representing seven regions from around the country.
The practice pits included an interesting variety of soils that were mostly Alfisols, Mollisols and Inceptisols, many of which were wet soils with plenty of redoximorphic features. Most of the practice sites were on the private lands of farmer-cooperators. The individual portion of the competition was held on the grounds of the Myeerah Nature Preserve, near Bellefontaine, OH, where students examined Argiudolls formed in outwash and also in pedisediment over lacustrine deposits, and also an Epiaquept formed in alluvial deposits. The group portion of the contest held on Saturday was on the grounds of Camp Shiffer, where students examined a Hapludalf formed in outwash and an Endoaquoll on a floodplain formed in alluvium over lacustrine materials.
In the group judging portion of the contest, UMD placed 6th. And with the group scores combined with the individual scores, the overall team rankings had UMD in 4th place, behind Virginia Tech (1st), NC State (2nd) and Univ. of Wisconsin, Platteville (3rd). The performance of the Terrapin soil judgers was especially remarkable, given that this was a rebuilding year after graduation of all of the 2019 team followed by two years without soils competitions due to COVID. (All of those teams finishing ahead of UMD had one or more returning judgers with significant experience). Thus, we are especially proud of our Terrapin Team.
