May 5, 2002
AMES, Iowa — A member of Iowa State University's student crops team won the National Association of College and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) crops contest in Pomona, Calif.
Bart Boehm, a senior in agronomy from Greenfield, Iowa, won the overall individual competition. Teammate Mindy DeVries of Monroe, Iowa, placed second. Other team members were Dustin Hoeft, Charles City; Emily Rottinghaus, Charles City; and Erik Christian, Story City.
The team of agronomy undergraduates placed third overall. The team placed second in the math exam and third in the lab practical and agronomic exams at the contest held in April at California State Polytechnic University.
The crops contest consists of a series of written, problem-solving and identification exams. The Iowa State team is supported by the Iowa Crop Improvement Association.
NACTA is a professional society that focuses on promotion and recognition of excellence in teaching agriculture and related areas at the post secondary level in North America. Members of NACTA are from two-year and four-year colleges, public and private and have a common bond of teaching agriculture and related subjects.