Student Weed Contest
2025 NCWSS Weed Science Contest Announcement
BASF, Bayer, Corteva and Valent to Host 2025 Weed Contest
The 2025 North Central Weed Science Society contest partners (BASF, Bayer, Corteva and Valent) cordially invite all NCWSS institutions to the society’s 2025 Student Weed Contest.
The 2025 contest will be held on July 30 and 31, 2025 at the BASF Midwest Research Farm in Seymour, Illinois just outside Champaign. Registration will be on site, Wednesday, July 30, 2025, starting at 4:30 p.m. There will be a welcome dinner following registration at 6:00 p.m. on site, including introductions and details regarding the contest, as well as time for socialization and relaxation. The contest will begin at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday July 31, with an awards banquet following the conclusion of the contest at The City Center in Champaign. Directions to the contest and banquet location, hotel names and phone numbers, and a more detailed schedule will be provided later via email and will be posted to the NCWSS website.
Hotel booking information, registration forms, volunteer forms, and contest rules and regulations (which includes the list of unknown herbicides, list of possible crops and weeds in the unknown herbicide, and list of potential weeds for identification) for this year’s contest can be found on the NCWSS website.
Participant Registration Forms and fees will be due by May 2, 2025 in order to ensure a t-shirt and food accommodations for all contestants. However, final team compositions will not be due until July 10, 2025. Registration fees are $25 per NCWSS student and $35 per non-NCWSS student. Please mail checks made payable to NCWSS to North Central Weed Science Society, Inc., 12110 N. Pecos Street, Suite 220, Westminster, CO 80234 ATTN: Weeds Contest or if using a credit card, send information to [email protected], also referencing the weeds contest.
The success of the contest relies heavily on the participation of society members as volunteers. Those wishing to volunteer at the contest should fill out the Volunteer Form before July 10, 2025.
The 2025 NCWSS Weed Contest partners look forward to welcoming all students, coaches, and volunteers this summer at the 2025 NCWSS Weed Contest!
Sincerely,
NCWSS Weed Contest Partners
BASF, Bayer, Corteva, and Valent Research Farms
Hotel Information
Options #1 and #2
Hilton Garden Inn (1501 S. Neil Street, Champaign IL) : Group Rate $155 :Deadline June 30, 2025
Homewood Suites (1417 S. Neil Street, Champaign IL): Gorup Rate $155 : Deadline June 30, 2025
Link to both Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites
King Rooms at Homewood Suites have a King Bed and Sofa Bed
Option #3:
Hyatt Place Champaign/Urbana(Downtown Champaign): Group Rate $139 :Deadline July 7, 2025
https://www.hyatt.com/hyatt-place/en-US/cmizc-hyatt-place-champaign-urbana?corp_id=G-NCWS
link above auto populates the Group Code (G-NCWS)
Awards Banquet Information
July 31st Awards Banquet:
Held at The City Center (505 S Chestnut Street, Champaign IL)
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 |
