AMES, Iowa -- The Iowa State University Crops Team had two team wins and an individual first place ranking at the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) Crops Contest held in Lubbock, Texas from April 2-6.
The Iowa State team won first place in both the crops contest and the Ag Knowledge Bowl in the four-year division. The team also had five of the six top individual scores in the crops contest, including the four highest scoring individuals.
The crops contest consists of written, problem solving and identification exams. Members of the winning team included agronomy students Sam Groenenboom, a senior from Oskaloosa, Iowa; Gary Gregg, a senior from Fredericktown, Ohio; Elliot Reicks, a senior from Lawler, Iowa; Michael Paulsmeyer, a junior from Petersburg, Ill.; and Linda Brown, a senior from Des Moines.
The Ag Knowledge Quiz Bowl involves answering questions on crops and soils; agricultural business and farm management; horticulture and natural resources; ag mechanics; current agricultural events and food science and nutrition.
Students on the Ag Knowledge Quiz Bowl team include Brown, Groenenboom, Paulsmeyer, Gregg and Cody Schneider, a senior in agronomy from Riverside, Iowa.
Other members who attended the contest include agronomy students Dana Diers, a junior from Brighton, Iowa; Matthew Duesterhaus, a freshman from Mendon, Ill.; Kathryn Hoemann, a junior from Clive, Iowa and Morgan Shrader, a sophmore in agricultural business from Charles City, Iowa.
The team is coached by Erik Christian, an agronomy lecturer, with help from assistant coaches Sam Vigue, a senior in agronomy from Brimfield, Ill. and Katie Demers, a senior in agronomy from Storm Lake, Iowa.
NACTA is a professional society that promotes the recognition of excellence in teaching agriculture and related areas at the post-secondary level.