Three Top 10 Finishers Power Soil Judging Team to Region IV Title

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The 2022 Region IV champions include, from left, Jonathan Brye, coach, and University Professor Kris Brye; and students Lilly Stults, Katie Jansson and Lauren Gwaltney. Jansson won the overall individual championship with Brye placing second and Gwaltney ninth.

Led by three top 10 individual finishers, the U of A soil judging team claimed the Region IV championship earlier this month in competition hosted by Oklahoma State University in Woodward, Oklahoma.

The team, all students in the Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, won the overall title as well as the team-judged pit portion of the competition.

"Finishing first in the team-judged pit portion of the contest was a major milestone achievement for the Arkansas team, something that we haven't accomplished in 21 years," coach and University Professor of applied soil physics and pedology Kris Brye said. "The final results showed that we not only had the best group of individuals, but also the best group that worked together as a team this year, an accomplishment that I am extremely proud of the students for achieving."

U of A's squad includes Jonathan Brye, Lauren Gwaltney, Katie Jansson and Lilly Stults. Jansson won the overall individual championship, finishing ahead of 27 other competitors. Brye was second overall and Gwaltney ninth.

For the 11th time in 13 years, U of A has earned a spot in the national competition to be hosted by Oklahoma State University in the spring in Woodward, Oklahoma, the same site as the regional contest. Arkansas placed 16th in the nation last year.

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.