Central Region, Regional Roundup, Soil Health, South Dakota

Soil judging team wins regional, qualifies for nationals

By HPJ Staff

December 05, 2025

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The SDSU Soil Judging Team brought home first-place honors from the National Collegiate Soil Judging Region 5 competition held recently in Omaha, Nebraska. Pictured from left are assistant professor of soils and pedology in the Department of Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Kristopher Osterloh, with team members Harlee Nielson, Abigayle Eitreim and senior team leader Luke Desmith, who also won first place in the individual judging category. (South Dakota State University)

The South Dakota State University Soil Judging Team made an impressive showing at the recent National Collegiate Soil Judging Region 5 competition, garnering first-place awards in both the team and individual categories.

Helping to bring home the team’s overall first-place score was individual top winner Luke Desmith, a senior agronomy major from Walnut Grove, Minnesota.

The regional contest included nine collegiate teams from South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, and Minnesota. The overall first-place win qualifies the SDSU students to participate in the national competition this spring at North Carolina State University, sponsored by the Soil Science Society of America.

PHOTO: The SDSU Soil Judging Team brought home first-place honors from the National Collegiate Soil Judging Region 5 competition held recently in Omaha, Nebraska. Pictured from left are assistant professor of soils and pedology in the Department of Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Kristopher Osterloh, with team members Harlee Nielson, Abigayle Eitreim and senior team leader Luke Desmith, who also won first place in the individual judging category. (South Dakota State University)