We had wrapped up our fourth day of practice, with some classic outwash plain soils
(great for potato farming) and some complicated pits in moraine landscapes, one in a
depression with a buried soil!
The team on flannel day! Back row, L to R: Cecily Greblo, Nate Lund (assistant coach),
Nic Jelinski (coach), Jake Olson, Finn Porter, Bailey Tangen (assistant coach).
Front row, L to R: Katrina Nelson (assistant coach), Dustin Brooks, Annika Selstad,
Jenna Christenson, Amital Shaver (captain), Anna Windels.
On Thursday, we were off to the races with the individual contest! It was a soggy day of
competition in the forest, but the team stayed strong and our bright spirits brought us
through the day. It's the Minnesota way!
Muddy conditions in the contest pits, but soil judgers are determined.
Soil judger Anna (right) getting in her time at the control face.
After getting warm and dry, the team rested up to prepare for team contest day on
Friday. Our school spirit was strong and the team pits were a highlight for everyone,
as usual! The weather held up a bit better, which was a relief.
Pit crew deciding horizon depths.
All hands on deck to finish classification and interpretations on the back of the card.
The team was in high spirits after finishing the last pit of the contest. Go Gophs!
Grading wrapped up and we headed to the awards ceremony. We are excited to
announce that the University of Minnesota scored sixth overall and eighth in
group judging! This is the second best overall finish that the Gophers have earned
in a National Contest! The team is ecstatic.
We are proud of all of the work and dedication that went into this contest–on the
part of the contest organizers, sponsors, our coaches, and our soil judgers. It has truly
been a fantastic contest, with a commitment to learning and team cohesion. We are so
grateful to all of the donors that made this experience possible. Gophers love soil, and
we are thankful for the opportunity to immerse ourselves in soil science with an
incredible group of people. Go Gophs!!!
