Students Shine at National Landscaping Competition

Cal Poly Pomona students recorded numerous top 10 finishes in individual events at the National Collegiate Landscape Competition.

Aiko Yamada, a biology major, took first place in the Flower and Foliage Identification Challenge during the competition, while agricultural science major Amanda Penicks took second place in the Plant Problem Diagnosis Challenge.

Agribusiness and food industry management student Kate Golden finished third in the Annual & Perennial Identification Challenge, and landscape architecture student Angela Garcia earned third place in the 3-D Exterior Landscape Design Challenge.

The competition, which is sponsored by the National Association of Landscape Professionals, was held virtually. Twenty challenges were held from March 15-19, while the Sales Presentation Challenge was held March 1-4.

Other top 10 finishers from Cal Poly Pomona were:

• Stephen Espinosa (plant science) – fourth place, Landscape Lighting
• Kate Golden (agribusiness and food industry management) – fifth place, Flower and Foliage Identification
• Daniel Hurt (plant science) – seventh place, Plant Problem Diagnosis
• Daniel Carrillo (plant science) – eighth place, Interior Plant Identification
• Eduardo Barragan (plant science) - ninth place, Arboriculture Techniques
• Daniel Carrillo (plant science) – ninth place, Irrigation Design
• Amanda Penicks (agriculture science) – 10^th place, Flower and Foliage Identification
• Felipe Aguilera (plant science) – 10^th place, Robotics & Technology in Landscape Design & Maintenance.

The National Collegiate Landscape Competition is an annual competition and networking event for students enrolled in horticulture, landscape architecture, and botany programs at two- and four-year colleges and universities from across the country. It brings students together with landscape companies and industry manufacturers.

The event is comprised of several different components including a career fair, the challenges, and student workshops.

The Cal Poly Pomona students spent six months preparing for this competition.

Unlike previous years, points in the individual challenges weren’t totaled up into a team score this year.

During the event, Cal Poly Pomona students interviewed for internships and career opportunities with green industry companies in California, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and other parts of the country.

Tracey Takeuchi, Aaron Fox, Eudell Vis, Alan Moss, and Jim Downer were the faculty advisers that coached this year’s team.