JACOB KONST/Arizona Daily Wildcat Soil and water science students David White (front, left) and Emily McKindley (front, right) texture the soil in a local wash as David Watson, a soil and water science sophomore, and Aisha Al-Suwaidi, an environmental sciences senior, pull samples from the edge of the wash. The students are part of the nine-person UA Soil Judging Team, which placed ninth overall in the nation at the National Soil Judging Competition in Illinois last week.

UA team takes 9th in national competition

Rain, tornados and tons of dark organic matter did not hold back the UA Soil Judging Team from defeating agriculture universities from across the country in the National Soil Judging Competition last week.

David White, a soil and water science junior, took 10th place in the individual competition of more than 80 competitors. Emily McKindley, a soil and water science sophomore, trailed by only a few points and placed 15th. The UA team ranked ninth overall.

Nine UA undergraduates and two coaches left the light-colored arid soils of southern Arizona for Illinois, a state known for its glacier-formed soils rich in silt and organic matter.

"I am extremely pleased how team did," said Keith Goyne, a research associate in the soil, water and environmental science department. "Coming from the arid environment with arid soils to a humid environment with completely different soil forming factors, our team did an excellent job adapting and learning to describe and interpret the soils in Illinois."

The competition requires students to jump into a pit dug several meters deep and describe the layers of soils by their physical, chemical and biological properties.

Soil classification allows scientists to determine whether the soil is fertile and whether it is sturdy enough to handle construction.

In preparation for the tournament, the UA team spent every Friday and Saturday this semester either in the classroom learning about the Illinois' soil or practicing their techniques in the field.

But studying Arizona's soils couldn't prepare them for the rich, dark soils of the Midwest.

"These soils were something we'd never seen before," McKindley said. "It was so rich that earthworms were actually falling out of the pit onto us."

"You can't be a princess in this game," McKindley added.

In order to prepare for the competition, the team arrived in Illinois several days early to spend long hours out in the countryside looking at the foreign soils.

"One day, we spent half the day in the cold rain and thunderstorms," White said. "Ten minutes after we left the area, a tornado touched down."

The twisters in Illinois, which killed several people, made the national news early last week.

The top 20 agricultural schools across the nation made it to the competition after qualifying in regional competitions. The UA hosted the regional competition against California Polytechnic State University in February in Mohave Valley.

Wearing navy blue shirts with a large, white wildcat on the back, the UA team went to the soil pits with the most school spirit, members of the team said.

"We sang 'Bear Down' the whole way," McKindley said.

Aisha Al-Suwaidi, a SWES senior, said the UA vans would drive up to the soil pits with music pumping out the windows.

Although all nine members of the team traveled to the competition, only the top four could enter the individual contest. White said the most dramatic moment came when members of the UA team had to compete against each other for a spot in the individual competition.

"It was an intense competition between ourselves," McKindley said. "We bonded together."

White, McKindley, Al-Suwaidi and Travis Nauman, a SWES junior, qualified to compete in the individual competition.

While soil judging is unheard of to most students, Goyne said it's important that students care about soils.

"Soils are a vital component of the earth. We build on them, our food is derived from them and they affect the water and carbon cycles," Goyne said. "By our students competing, students have a greater appreciation for our food sources and for Mother Nature in general."

Goyne helped coach the team with Sanjai Parikh, a SWES graduate student who was formerly involved with the soil judging team at the University of Maryland.

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, CALS Alumni Office, Associated Students of the University of Arizona and the SWES department helped cover the team's expenses.