UMD hosted the 2026 NE Region Soil Judging Competition near Waldorf and Placed First
2026 UMD Regional Soil Judging Team
The Maryland Soil Judging Team had an impressive victory on Friday, September 25 at the 2026 Northeast Regional Soil Judging contest hosted by the University of Maryland. The Terps took 1st place in group judging and had eight students placed in the top 10 out of 83 students competing, leading them to a 1st place overall finish. The victory qualifies the team to compete in the 2027 National Soil Judging Contest to be held at Colorado State University in Fort Collins this spring.
The eight Maryland judgers who placed in the top ten were: Andrew Heffner (1st Place), Helen McConville (2nd Place), Anya Olson (3rd Place), Adriana Schulman (5th Place), Zie Goodman (7th Place), Emily O’Neill (8th Place), Crystal Kitburi (9th Place), and Jacob Myers (10th Place). Five additional judgers: Izzy Della Santa, Zoe Ebersold, Jonathan VanBuskirk, Tyler Demory, and Taruni Pendyala finished in the top 25. Additional team members were Andrew Wang and Lily Moss. The team was coached by Dr. Brian Needelman and Assistant Coach Cole Chapman from the Department of Environmental Science and Technology (ENST). Twelve of the 15 team members are in ENST and were joined by students from Plant Science, Fire Protection Engineering, and Chemistry.
To “judge” a soil, students spend one hour in a 5-foot-deep pit describing the characteristics of the various layers that have developed in the soil, the soil’s ability to transmit and retain water and support roots, the geological history of the site, the long-term processes of soil development, the classification of the soil, and the potential challenges of using the soil for various land uses. Students are then scored on the accuracy of their answers in comparison to a description done by a team of professional soil scientists.
Soil judging brings out many essential elements of career preparation that are difficult to replicate in a classroom. Soils in the field rarely match our textbook descriptions, they offer complications that confuse even the best soil scientists. Students are put into a high-pressure, high-stakes situation and must work both individually and collaboratively to tackle this complex problem. To succeed, students not only need to develop the skills to execute but the ability to function as a member of a team that can endure and thrive through long workdays, varying weather, and all the challenges associated with fieldwork.
This year’s contest was held near Waldorf, Md. The soils were formed in coastal plain and alluvial sediments, sometimes with a covering of wind-blown loess or human-transported materials. The students were challenged to identify the ever-elusive fragipans of southern Maryland.
Penn State, the University of Rhode Island, the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, and Delaware Valley University came in places 2nd through 5th, qualifying them to join Maryland to represent the Northeast Region at the National Contest in 2027. Six other universities from the northeast region competed: Alfred State University, Brooklyn College, Brown University, Fredonia College, the University of Delaware, and West Chester University. The contest was organized by Dr. Martin Rabenhorst from the Department of Environmental Science and Technology (ENST) with extensive assistance and support from USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service staff, private soil scientists, UMD soil judging alums, and generous sponsors.
