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Spotlight on Youth - Dec. 3, 2008
Southmont FFA wins state soils contest

CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. — The Southmont FFA Soils Judging team has had a very successful judging year. The teams have competed in four contests before competing in their area and state contests. This year’s high school members were Lagora Paxton, Matthew Armbruster, Jeremiah Anderson, Cole Smith, Ashley Kincaid, Brooklyn Mason, Trey Wilbur, Kiley Kaeser, Jessica Anderson and Ben Beck. The Jr. High members were Megan Kincaid, Josh Kaeser and Raymond Hedrick.

Southmont Soils teams started their journey at the Clinton Central Soils Contest on Aug. 30, 2008. The team placed 5th out of 30 teams. Those team members were Lagora Paxton, Matthew Armbruster, Cole Smith and Trey Wilbur.

The teams then traveled to Hamilton Southeastern Soils Contest on Sept. 13. The team placed 5th out of 41 teams. Those members were Lagora Paxton, Matthew Armbruster, Jeremiah Anderson and Cole Smith.

The soils teams headed North to the Purdue Soils Contest on Sept. 27. The chapter had three participating teams out of a total of 91 teams. 302 students and 18 advisors participated in the contest.
The Southmont Chapter team consisting of Lagora Paxton, Matthew Armbruster, Jeremiah Anderson and Cole Smith placed 2nd out of 91 teams and the chapter consisting of three teams and Advisor Gary Mosbaugh, placed 4th out of 42 chapter teams competing.

The last practice contest for the year was Tri-County Soils Contest on Sept. 27. The chapter had three participating teams out of a total of 41 teams. The Southmont Chapter team consisting of Lagora Paxton, Matthew Armbruster, Jeremiah Anderson, Cole Smith placed 4th.

The teams competed in the area soils contest on Oct. 9. The team consisting of Lagora Paxton, Matthew Armbruster, Jeremiah Anderson and Cole Smith won the contest.

The Southmont FFA Soils Team competed in the state soils judging contest on Nov. 1 in Hamilton County. Southmont’s team consisting of Lagora Paxton, Matthew Armbruster, Jeremiah Anderson and Cole Smith won the contest and was named the 2008 Soils Judging Champion Team,

Individually the chapter had the top two individuals out of 184 total contestants. Matthew Armbruster placed 1st, Jeremiah Anderson placed 2nd. Josh Kaeser placed 8th out of 62 contestants in the Jr. High.

During the contest students determined parent material, slope, erosion, landform, surface texture and color, subsoil texture, natural soil drainage, limiting layers and current land use of four different sites.

The Southmont Soils Team has qualified for the National Soils Judging Contest in Oklahoma during May and each member will be receiving $500 scholarship as a result of the state championship.
12/3/2008