850 Students Compete in Career Days Irrigation Events

Adam Boyd of Virginia Tech won the irrigation design event.

FALLS CHURCH, Va.-The student ?EUR??,,????'??Olympics?EUR??,,????'?? of the landscape contracting industry were held March 19-22 at the University of Maryland during Professional Landscape Network (PLANET) Student Career Days.

More than 850 students and 200 instructors attended. In the irrigation events, students designed an irrigation system, then teams of two assembled the system following a design plan. The systems were done on top of the ground and attached to a water main. Individual competitors also identified and fixed problems in an existing system.

Winner of irrigation troubleshooting competition, Victor Eggleton, Brigham Young University. Mike Clark of Hunter Industries (left) presented the award.

Adam Boyd of Virginia Tech won the irrigation design event (sponsored by L.R. Nelson).

Jimmy Barnett and Keith Mercer, North Metro Technical College, Acworth, Ga., won the irrigation assembly contest (sponsored by Hunter Industries and the Irrigation Association Education Foundation).

Victor Eggleton of Brigham Young University won the irrigation troubleshooting (sponsored by Ewing Irrigation Products).

Mike Clark of Hunter Industries presents the award for first place in the Irrigation Assembly contest to Keith Mercer and Jimmy Barnett of Metro Technical College. Mr. Clark is chairman of the Irrigation Association Certification Board.

The Irrigation Association Education Foundation awarded each irrigation event winner a trip to the 26th International Irrigation Show in Phoenix Nov. 6-8. First-place winners get roundtrip airfare to Phoenix, three nights hotel accommodations, conference registration and the opportunity to take any IA class offered at the show. The winners will also attend special events during the conference and be recognized at the IA Keynote Breakfast on Nov. 7.

Student Career Days also includes Career Fair, where companies can set up displays, network with students and hold formal interviews.

A student assembles an irrigation system during the Student Career Days while another system is being tested. Students had 1 hour 55 minutes to assemble a working irrigation system following a detailed design.

Students working in teams of two assembled irrigation systems. The annual event includes competitions in irrigation design, assembly and troubleshooting.