U of A Soil Judging Team Sixth in Nation; Best Finish in 21 Years

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Kris Brye's team of Katie Jansson, Sophie Sward, Jonathan Brye, Claire Meara and Lauren Gwaltney finished sixth among the top 23 teams in the country at the National Soil Judging Contest.

The U of A soil judging team placed sixth in the country at the National Soil Judging Contest and was second in the team-judged pit portion of the contest.

Competing among the top 23 teams and 92 individuals in the country, both finishes are the best for Arkansas in the national competition in 21 years.

The team, made up of students in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Science's Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences, is coached by University Professor of applied soil physics and pedology Kris Brye.

Team members are Katie Jansson, Sophie Sward, Jonathan Brye, Claire Meara and Lauren Gwaltney.

"Soil judging at the national contest level is very challenging because everyone participating is good, but we've been steadily improving for several years now, which is a major credit to the students," said Brye, also a researcher and scientist with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the U of A System Division of Agriculture. "To improve on what the team did at the national contest in 2022 was just tremendous. I'm really happy for the students who show off not only their individual skill, but also their ability to work together a team. The teamwork is probably what I am most proud of with the group."

The national contest was held in March in Woodward, Oklahoma, and hosted by Oklahoma State University. Arkansas earned a spot in the national contest for the 11th time in 13 years after winning the Region IV contest in the fall.

Arkansas was seventh in the team-judged pit portion of the contest and 16th overall in the nation in 2022.

About the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences: Bumpers College provides life-changing opportunities to position and prepare graduates who will be leaders in the businesses associated with foods, family, the environment, agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life; and who will be first-choice candidates of employers looking for leaders, innovators, policy makers and entrepreneurs. The college is named for Dale Bumpers, former Arkansas governor and longtime U.S. senator who made the state prominent in national and international agriculture. For more information about Bumpers College, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter at @BumpersCollege and Instagram at BumpersCollege.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas' economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the top 3% of U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research News.