Led by three top 10 individual finishes, the U of A soil judging team placed second in the Region IV Soil Judging Contest and has qualified for the national finals.

The regional meet was hosted by Texas A&M University at College Station, Texas.

Claire Meara placed third overall, Syd Dettmer fourth and Sophie Sward eighth. Keara Taul and Noah Solomon also competed for the U of A. All team members are crop science students in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences.

The team is coached by University Professor of applied soil physics and pedology Kris Brye, a U of A faculty member who is also a researcher and scientist with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the U of A System Division of Agriculture.

"The weather was hot and sunny for several practice days, and the soil conditions were very hard on account of an extended period without rain," Brye said. "However, the students persevered through those conditions and circumstances to a very rewarding outcome. I am very proud of all of them."

For the 13th time in 15 years, U of A has earned a spot in the national competition to be held during the spring semester. Arkansas finished sixth in the nation in 2023 and was 16th in 2022. 

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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, policymakers 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 $3 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 few 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 and Economic Development News.