{"id":2576,"date":"2023-09-01T21:30:51","date_gmt":"2023-09-01T21:30:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/coanr\/?p=2576"},"modified":"2025-11-12T17:25:04","modified_gmt":"2025-11-12T17:25:04","slug":"texan-soil-whisperers-win-first-in-team-pit-at-national-competition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/coanr\/2023\/09\/01\/texan-soil-whisperers-win-first-in-team-pit-at-national-competition\/","title":{"rendered":"Texan Soil Whisperers Win First in Team Pit at National Competition"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Texan Soil Whisperers returned to Woodward, Oklahoma to compete in the National Collegiate Soil Judging Competition after their victory at the Region IV Collegiate Soil Judging Competition\u2014both hosted by Oklahoma State University. Last October, the Soil Whisperers placed 2nd<\/sup> in the Team Pit and 3rd<\/sup> overall which solidified their spot to once again compete in the National round for the second year in a row. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The competition is graded in two portions: an individually judged portion and a team judged portion. The individually judged portion is composed of three soil pits where each judger independently describes the soil profile according to a scorecard given by the host. 4 students\u2019 scores, with the lowest score at each pit dropped, are added together with the team pit score, which up to 10 students can participate in, to tabulate the overall score. However, students that are not graded towards the overall score still participate in alternate pits. Awards are given for the top 5 individual scores, top 5 alternate scores, top 3 team scores, and top 3 overall scores. Those with the top individual scores additionally are qualified to participate in the International Soil Judging Competition to represent Team USA. The Regional and National competitions are part of the organization called Students of Agronomy, Soils, and Environmental Sciences, or SASES, and is the undergraduate program of the American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA) and Soil Science Society of America (SSSA). Consequently, these competitions are created by the most revered agricultural institutions in the USA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soil judging is learning how to train your eyes to see the fine intricacies found on and within every soil ped while also listening to the landscape and geology tell you the history of how the soil was created and how it will act in the future. Soil judgers must name and ascribe depths to each horizon, texture each horizon according to the USDA Soil Textural Triangle, color match each horizon using a Munsell color book, shoot the slope of the land around the pit, determine hydrological, erosional, and engineering interpretations based on the above findings, and finally name the soil pedon based on the immensely expansive and specific Soil Taxonomy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Universities around the country gathered in Woodward, OK to prove their proficiencies in these above skills; overall 23 universities competed, and 154 students participated. Dr. Donald McGahan coached the Texan Soil Whispers team numbering five: Joseph Avila, Klayton Morriss, Daniel Pavelka, Courtney Thom, and Austin Wildman. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Texan Soil Whisperers judged practice soil pits, 13 in total, from sunrise March 26th <\/sup>until sunset March 29th<\/sup>. The competition was split into two days; individual held on March 30th<\/sup> and team held on March 31st<\/sup>. Despite everything\u2014the 30 to 45 mph winds, the eolian sand blown in their faces, and the intense pressure that comes with a national competition\u2013the Texan Soil Whisperers placed 1st<\/sup> in the Team Pit. Tarleton State University placed 12th<\/sup> overall. These accomplishments can be owed to the wealth of knowledge Dr. McGahan has shared with his students, the support of the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the comradery innate within the Tarleton spirit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Five<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\"Group
(Left to right) Dr. Donald McGahan coached the Texan Soil Whispers team numbering five: Joseph Avila, Klayton Morriss, Daniel Pavelka, Austin Wildman, and Courtney Thom.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The number of contestants was 154. The Texas Soil Whisperers numbered five. Four can compete officially for the institution in the individual competition that counts toward a sweepstakes award. The top five individuals get awards. The top three Universities get awards for a combined scoring of the top three of four for each of the judging excavations. The top three Universities get awards for a team judged set of excavations. The Tarleton State University Texan Soil Whisperers won first place in the Team Judging! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This competition is part of the organization called Students of Agronomy, Soils, and Environmental Sciences  or SASES, and is the undergraduate program of the American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA) and Soil Science Society of America (SSSA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our competition were among the most revered agricultural institutions in the USA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Twenty five Universities competed<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tarleton State University<\/p>\n\n\n\n

University of Arkansas<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Colorado State<\/p>\n\n\n\n

University of Minnesota-Twin Cities<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cal Poly Humbolt<\/p>\n\n\n\n

University of Wisconsin Platteville<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Purdue<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iowa State<\/p>\n\n\n\n

University of Nebraska Lincoln<\/p>\n\n\n\n

University of Maryland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

University of Idaho<\/p>\n\n\n\n

West Kentucky University<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Penn State<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bloomsburg<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Univ. of Tennessee-Knoxville<\/p>\n\n\n\n

University of Rhode Island<\/p>\n\n\n\n

West Texas A&M<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Auburn<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Virginia Tech<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NC State University<\/p>\n\n\n\n

University of Georgia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

University of Wisconsin Stevens Point<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Mexico State<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Utah State<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the second year in a row that the TSU Texan Soil Whisperers have qualified to compete in the National Collegiate Soil Judging. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winners of the overall individual scores are qualified for International Soil Judging.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Texan Soil Whisperers returned to Woodward, Oklahoma to compete in the National Collegiate Soil Judging Competition after their victory at the Region IV Collegiate Soil Judging Competition\u2014both hosted by …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2579,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","wds_primary_category":53,"footnotes":""},"categories":[53,15],"tags":[66,65,61],"class_list":["post-2576","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-department-of-wildlife-natural-resources","category-students","tag-competitive-team","tag-contest","tag-department-of-wildlife-natural-resources"],"acf":[],"author_meta":{"display_name":"keegan","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/coanr\/author\/keegan-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2\/"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/coanr\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/228\/2023\/09\/Picture0-1-300x201.png","coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["Department of Wildlife & Natural Resources<\/a>","Students<\/a>"],"unlinked":["Department of Wildlife & Natural Resources<\/span>","Students<\/span>"]},"tags":{"linked":["Competitive Team<\/a>","Contest<\/a>","Department of Wildlife & Natural Resources<\/a>"],"unlinked":["Competitive Team<\/span>","Contest<\/span>","Department of Wildlife & Natural Resources<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":0,"relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 3 years ago","modified":"Updated 5 months ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on September 1, 2023","modified":"Updated on November 12, 2025"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on September 1, 2023 9:30 pm","modified":"Updated on November 12, 2025 5:25 pm"},"featured_img_caption":"Group holding a \"First Place\" banner at a soil judging competition.","series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/coanr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2576","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/coanr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/coanr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/coanr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/coanr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2576"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/coanr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2576\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3683,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/coanr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2576\/revisions\/3683"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/coanr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2579"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/coanr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2576"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/coanr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2576"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/coanr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2576"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}