WSSA regional affiliates honor top contestants for proven weed science expertise

WESTMINSTER, Colo., Aug. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Northeastern, North Central, Southern and Western affiliates of the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) tested nearly 250 students on their weed science skills this summer and announced awards for the highest scoring teams and individuals.

"These competitions are a fun and challenging way to test both individuals and teams on their weed science knowledge and problem-solving capabilities," says Ian Burke, Ph.D., WSSA president. "We applaud the dedication and excellence that the students demonstrated to master the skills needed to achieve the high scores during the testing. We also applaud the dedication from the many volunteers, sponsors and industry and university weed scientists who collaborated to make each regional contest possible."

The 2026 Northeastern Weed Science Society (NEWSS) Weed Contest brought together 61 students, and 52 volunteers, from six universities. Students competed in contests to demonstrate their ability to identify weeds, calibrate sprayers, and diagnose herbicide injury, among other practical weed science skills. The contest was held on July 28 at the University of Maryland Wye Research and Education Center in Queenstown, Maryland.

The North Central Weed Science Society (NCWSS) and Western Society of Weed Science (WSWS) Student Weed Contests convened on July 30, at the Bayer Crop Sciences Water Utilization Learning Center, in Gothenburg, Nebraska. With help from roughly 70 volunteers, these two societies tested 110 undergraduate and graduate students in similar competitions, designed to mirror real-world weed science challenges, including one that challenged contestants to diagnose "farmer problems" accurately and recommend optimal solutions.

Additionally, the Southern Weed Science Society (SWSS) Weed Contest attracted 73 contestants from 12 universities, including 19 graduate student teams. The SWSS contest occurred at the University of Tennessee, August 5-6.

Below are the winners from each participating region:

Northeastern Weed Science Society

Graduate Student Winners, Team, Overall

• First Place: North Carolina State University, with Brock Dean, Kai Goble, Jackson Alsdorf, Kayla Beckwith
• Second Place: Penn State, with Grant Hoffer, Emily McFadden, Akashdeep Singh, Allie Rice
• Third Place: Virginia Tech, with Akashdeep Singh, Debra Smitherman, Sam Crawford, Sam Krienberg

Graduate Student Winners, Individual, Overall

• First Place: Preetaman Bajwa, Cornell University
• Second Place: Kai Goble, North Carolina State University
• Third Place: Akashdeep Singh, Penn State

Undergraduate Student Winners, Team, Overall

• First Place: University of Guelph, with Max Van Den Borre, Alisha Ferland, Yvonne Fletcher, Nichole Intranuovo
• Second Place: Ohio State University, with Julianne Littin, Kyle Ohanian, Michael Grimes, Daniel Hartzell
• Third Place: University of Guelph, with Samantha Debruyn, Ian Driscoll, Abigail Mettler, Josh Vanderharst

Undergraduate Student Winners, Individual, Overall

• First Place: Nicole Intranuovo, University of Guelph
• Second Place: Michael Grimes, Ohio State University
• Third Place: Yvonne Fletcher, University of Guelph

North Central Weed Science Society

Graduate Student Winners, Team, Overall

• First Place: Purdue University, with Emma Lagerhausen, Emmanuel Cooper, Jessie Lewis
• Second Place: Purdue University, with Abigail Norsworthy, Anna Phillips, Danny Zhu
• Third Place: Michigan State University, with Jacob Felsman, Lauryn Wishowski, Michael Dodde

Graduate Student Winners, Team, Field Calibration

• Michigan State University, with Jacob Felsman, Lauryn Wishowski, Michael Dodde

Graduate Student Winners, Individual, Overall

• First Place: Ankit Yadav, University of Nebraska
• Second Place: Emma Lagerhausen, Purdue University
• Third Place: Maria Souza, Purdue University

Graduate Student Winner, Individual, Weed ID

• Ankit Yadav, University of Nebraska

Graduate Student Winner, Individual, Herbicide Symptomology ID

• Abi Norsworthy, Purdue University

Graduate Student Winner, Individual, Problem Solving

• Ankit Yadav, University of Nebraska

Graduate Student Winner, Individual, Written Calibration

• Danny Zhu, Purdue University

Undergraduate Student Winners, Team, Overall

• First Place: University of Missouri, with Austin Wilson, Ella Goldinger, Jacob Heitman
• Second Place: University of Wisconsin-Madison, with Antonio de Lucena, Joao Pedro Smaniotto, Julia Amiri
• Third Place: University of Illinois, with Paulo Mendes Nogueira, Raena Stierwalt, Shivani Dudyala

Undergraduate Student Winners, Team, Field Calibration

• First Place: Iowa State University, with Ethan Easter, Rocco D'Antico, Steven Tri

Undergraduate Student Winners, Individual, Overall

• First Place: Austin Wilson, University of Missouri
• Second Place: Antonio de Lucena, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Third Place: Reana Stierwalt, University of Illinois

Undergraduate Student Winner, Individual, Weed ID

• Amelia Meng, Kansas State University

Undergraduate Student Winner, Individual, Herbicide Symptomology ID

• Joao Pedro Smaniotto, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Undergraduate Student Winner, Individual, Problem Solving

• Shivani Dudyala, University of Illinois

Undergraduate Student Winner, Individual, Written Calibration

• Benton Kerr, Kansas State University

Southern Weed Science Society

Graduate Student Winners, Team, Overall

• First Place: University of Arkansas, with Noah Chandler, Cade Halbrook, Cory Ketchum, Aiden Ross
• Second Place: Mississippi State University, with Tanner King, Dalton Whitt, Jacob Dodd, Colton Fuller
• Third Place: Louisiana State University, with Thomas Knight, Bhupesh Dhaka, Shareen Mirza

Graduate Student Winners, Team, Calibration

• First Place: University of Tennessee, with Gavin Sparks, Logan Smith, Hayden Love, Sally Reed

Graduate Student Winners, Individual, Overall

• First Place: Noah Chandler, University of Arkansas
• Second Place: Colton Fuller, Mississippi State University
• Third Place: Cade Halbrook, University of Arkansas
• Fourth Place: Cory Ketchum, University of Arkansas
• Fifth Place: Gavin Sparks, University of Tennessee

Graduate Student Winners, Individual, Weed ID

• First Place: Noah Chandler, University of Arkansas

Graduate Student Winners, Individual, Herbicide Symptomology ID

• First Place: Dalton Whitt, Mississippi State University

Graduate Student Winners, Individual, Farmer Problem

• First Place: Jenna Bevill, Auburn University

Graduate Student Winners, Individual, Sprayer Calibration

• First Place: Abigail Conner, University of Kentucky

Undergraduate Student Winners, Individual, Overall

• First Place: Gage Long, University of Arkansas

Western Society of Weed Science

Graduate Student Winners, Team, Overall

• First Place: University of Wyoming, with Ian Waldecker, Lucas Gara, Madison Grogan
• Second Place: South Dakota State University, with Ashish Chaudhary, Muskan (FNU) Jakhar, Hunter Mitchell
• Third Place: University of Idaho, with Bhakti Lekhak, Laura Rodriguez, Shaila Antonio-Vanegas

Graduate Student Winners, Team, Field Calibration

University of Wyoming, with Ian Waldecker, Lucas Gara, Madison Grogan

Graduate Student Winners, Individual, Overall

• First Place: Ian Waldecker, University of Wyoming
• Second Place: Kiera Searcy, Washington State University/Colorado State University
• Third Place: Laura Rodriguez, Idaho State University

Graduate Student Winner, Individual, Weed ID

• Sushmita Sharma, University of Idaho

Graduate Student Winner, Individual, Herbicide Symptomology ID

• Ian Waldecker, University of Wyoming

Graduate Student Winners, Individual, Problem Solving

• Ian Waldecker, University of Wyoming

Graduate Student Winners, Individual, Written Calibration

• Ian Waldecker, University of Wyoming

"Congratulations to the 2026 Weed Contest winners and best of luck to all who are already preparing for the 2027 competitions," says Burke. "Everyone who competes and volunteers benefits from the teaching, testing, learning and collaboration that occur during these contests – ultimately it all helps to advance the science needed for future weed managers to successfully and sustainably protect managed and natural ecosystems across North America and the world."

About the Weed Science Society of America

The Weed Science Society of America is a nonprofit scientific society, founded in 1956 to encourage and facilitate the development of knowledge concerning weeds and their impact on the environment. The Society promotes research, education and extension outreach activities related to weeds, provides science-based information to the public and policy makers, fosters awareness of weeds and their impact on managed and natural ecosystems, and strengthens cooperation among weed science organizations across the nation and around the world. For more information, visit www.wssa.net.

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SOURCE Weed Science Society of America