Student Weed Contest
2026 NCWSS/WSWS Joint Student Weed Contest
2026 NCWSS Student Weed Contest Results
2026 NCWSS Student Weed Contest Results
The 2026 North Central Weed Science Society Student Weed Contest, hosted by Bayer, was held July 29–30 at the Bayer Water Utilization Center in Gothenburg, Nebraska.
We extend our sincere thanks to our hosts, sponsors, volunteers, students, and coaches who made this year’s contest a great success. The event provided an excellent opportunity for students to apply their knowledge, strengthen skills, and build lasting connections within the weed science community.
We are pleased to share the contest results, event photos, and banquet presentation below:
2025 Herbicide ID Key w Photos
Congratulations to all of our participants and winners—we look forward to seeing everyone again at the 2026 contest!
2025 NCWSS Student Weed Contest Results
2025 NCWSS Student Weed Contest Results
The 2025 North Central Weed Science Society Student Weed Contest, hosted by BASF, Bayer, Corteva, and Valent, was held July 30–31 at the BASF Midwest Research Farm in Seymour, Illinois.
We extend our sincere thanks to our hosts, sponsors, volunteers, students, and coaches who made this year’s contest a great success. The event provided an excellent opportunity for students to apply their knowledge, strengthen skills, and build lasting connections within the weed science community.
We are pleased to share the contest results, event photos, and banquet presentation below:
Photos provided by Nick Steppig, BASF
2025 Herbicide ID Key w Photos
Congratulations to all of our participants and winners—we look forward to seeing everyone again at the 2026 contest!
2024 NCWSS Student Weed Contest Results
Individual Weed ID
| Placing | University | Contestant |
| First | University of Minnesota | Sithin Mathew |
Individual Written Calibration
| Placing | University | Contestant |
| First | Iowa State University | Courtney Harle |
Individual Farmer Problem
| Placing | University | Contestant |
| First | University of Wisconsin - Madison | Mark Kendall |
Individual Herbicide Symptomology ID
| Placing | University | Contestant |
| First | Purdue University | Alex Mueth |
Individual Overall
| Placing | University | Contestants |
| First | University of Nebraska | Vipin Kumar |
| Second | University of Illinois | Isabel Werle |
| Third | Purdue University | Alex Mueth |
Team Overall
| Placing | University | Team | Contestants |
| First | University of Illinois | G1 | Yudai Takenaka, Alex Lopez, Isabel Werle, Travis Wilke |
| Second | Purdue University | G1 | Jada Davis, Alex Mueth, Hunter Medenwald, Apigal Norsworthy |
| Third | University of Minnesota | G1 | Eric Yu, Navjot Singh, Datta Chiruvelli, Sithin Mathew |
Team Sprayer Calibration
| Placing | University | Team | Contestants |
| First | University of Illinois | G1 | Yudai Takenaka, Travis Wilke, Alex Lopez, Isabel Werle |
Individual Weed ID
| Placing | University | Contestants |
| First | Iowa State University | Alex Coughlin |
Individual Herbicide Symptomology ID
| Placing | University | Contestants |
| First | Iowa State University | Alex Coughlin |
Individual Farmer Problem
| Placing | University | Contestants |
| First | University of Wisconsin - Madison | Jacob Roden |
Individual Written Calibration
| Placing | University | Contestants |
| First | University of Wisconsin - Madison | Daniel Zhu |
Individual Overall
| Placing | University | Contestants |
| First | Iowa State University | Alex Coughlin |
| Second | University of Wisconsin - Madison | Daniel Zhu |
| Third | University of Wisconsin - Madison | Rainne Wagner |
Team Overall
| Placing | University | Team | Contestants |
| First | University of Wisconsin - Madison | UG1 | Sabeel Abuhakmeh, Jacob Roden, Daniel Zhu, Rianne Wagner |
| Second | Kansas State University | UG1 | Ashlynn Hartman, Leno Calddieraro, Quinten Bina, Joaquin Enrria |
| Third | Iowa State University | UG1 | Alex Coughlin, Emma Davidson, Ephraim Van Zante, Abe Dieleman |
Team Sprayer Calibration
| Placing | University | Team | Contestants |
| First | North Dakota State University | UG1 | Ethan Mewes, Jenna Larson, Grace Dinius |
2023 NCWSS Student Weed Contest Results
Individual Weed ID
| Placing | University | Contestant |
| First | Purdue University | Alex Mueth |
Individual Unknown Herbicide
| Placing | University | Contestant |
| First | Purdue University | Alex Mueth |
Individual Problem Solving
| Placing | University | Contestant |
| First | University of Missouri | Trace Thompson |
Individual Written Problems
| Placing | University | Contestant |
| First | Purdue University | Marcelo Zimmer |
Individual Overall
| Placing | University | Contestants |
| First | Purdue University | Marcelo Zimmer |
| Second | Purdue University | Alex Mueth |
| Third | Purdue University | Jada Davis |
Team Overall
| Placing | University | Team | Contestants |
| First | Purdue University | G1 | Claudia Bland, Lucas Maia, Alex Mueth, and Marcelo Zimmer. |
| Second | University of Illinois | G1 | Alexander Lopez, Pavle Pavlovic, Isabel Werle, and Travis Wilke. |
| Third | University of Minnesota | G1 | Datta Chiruvelli, Navjot Singh, Mark Temper, and Eric Yu. |
Team Sprayer Calibration
| Placing | University | Team | Contestants |
| First | Purdue University | G1 | Estevan Cason, Josue Cerritos, Jada Davis, and Emma Lagerhausen. |
Individual Weed ID
| Placing | University | Contestants |
| First | University of Illinois | Yudai Takenaka |
Individual Unknown Herbicide
| Placing | University | Contestants |
| First | University of Illinois | Yudai Takenaka |
Individual Problem Solving
| Placing | University | Contestants |
| First | University of Illinois | Jacob Roden |
Individual Written Problems
| Placing | University | Contestants |
| First | University of Illinois | Yudai Takenaka |
Individual Overall
| Placing | University | Contestants |
| First | University of Illinois | Yudai Takenaka |
| Second | University of Wisconsin | Sabeel Abuhakmeh |
| Third | University of Wisconsin | Jacob Roden |
Team Overall
| Placing | University | Team | Contestants |
| First | University of Wisconsin | UG1 | Sabeel Abuhakmeh, Zachary Olson, Jacob Roden, and Daniel Zhu. |
| Second | Ohio State University | UG1 | Heather Oberlin, Ella Pollng, Timothy Sullivan, and Kristoffer Tovar. |
| Third | University of Illinois | UG1 | Filipi Machado, Yudai Takenaka, and Nathan Welch. |
Team Sprayer Calibration
| Placing | University | Team | Contestants |
| First | University of Wisconsin | UG1 | Sabeel Abuhakmeh, Zachary Olson, Jacob Roden, and Daniel Zhu. |
2022 NCWSS Student Weed Contest Results
Video of 2017 Student Weed Contest
Individual Weed ID
| Placing | University | Contestant |
| First | Kansas State University | Tyler Meyeres |
Individual Herbicide ID
| Placing | University | Contestant |
| First | University of Illinois | Logan Miller |
Individual Problem Solving
| Placing | University | Contestant |
| First | University of Wisconsin – Madison | Mark Kendall |
Individual Written Calibration
| Placing | University | Contestant |
| First | Purdue University | Jesse Haarman |
Individual Overall
| Placing | University | Contestants |
| First | Purdue University | Jesse Haarman |
| Second | Purdue University | Matt Osterholt |
| Third | University of Illinois | Logan Miller |
Team Field Calibration
| Placing | University | Team | Contestants | Coach(es) |
| First | University of Wisconsin-Madison | G1 | Felipe Faleco, Guilherme Chudzik, Mark Kendall, Nikola Arsenijevic | Rodrigo Werle |
Team Overall
| Placing | University | Team | Contestants | Coach(es) |
| First | Purdue University | G1 | Claudia Bland, Jesse Haarman, Lucas Maia, Matt Osterholt | Claudia Bland |
| Second | Kansas State University | G1 | Isaac Barnhart, Sachin Dhanda, Sarah Zerger, Tyler Meyeres | Anita Dille |
| Third | University of Illinois | G1 | Isabel Werle, Logan Miller, Lucas Bobadilla, Pavle Pavlovic | Patrick Tranel |
Individual Weed ID
| Placing | University | Contestants |
| First | North Dakota State University | Adam Aberle |
Individual Herbicide ID
| Placing | University | Contestants |
| First Tie | Ohio State University | Cameron Collett |
| First Tie | Pennsylvania State University | Ethan Whitmoyer |
Individual Problem Solving
| Placing | University | Contestants |
| First | University of Nebraska – Lincoln | Bruno Eltink |
Individual Written Calibration
| Placing | University | Contestants |
| First | University of Illinois | Yudai Takenaka |
Individual Overall
| Placing | University | Contestants |
| First | University of Illinois | Yudai Takenaka |
| Second | North Dakota State University | Adam Aberle |
| Third | Western Illinois University | Dustin Steinkamp |
Team Field Calibration
| Placing | University | Team | Contestants | Coach(es) |
| First | University of Illinois | UG1 | Caleb Van Hoveln, Nathan Welch, Travis Wilke, Yudai Takenaka | Patrick Tranel |
Team Overall
| Placing | University | Team | Contestants | Coach(es) |
| First | University of Illinois | UG1 | Caleb Van Hoveln, Nathan Welch, Travis Wilke, Yudai Takenaka | Patrick Tranel |
| Second | Ohio State University | UG1 | Brock Horn, Cameron Collett, Cori Lee, Sam Shilling | Bruce Ackley and Alyssa Essman |
| Third | Western Illinois University | UG1 | Dustin Steinkamp, Jamie Hidreth, Kinsey Tiemann, Stephanie Reiter | Brent Heaton |