Student Weed Contest

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2026 NCWSS/WSWS Joint Student Weed Contest

2026 NCWSS / WSWS Joint Student Weed Contest

July 29 – 30, 2026

Bayer Water Utilization Center, Gothenburg, Nebraska

Brief Agenda

July 29, 2026
Registration	4:30 PM	Bayer Water Utilization Learning Center
Welcome Dinner	6:00 PM	Bayer Water Utilization Learning Center

July 30, 2026
Contest Start	7:30 AM	Bayer Water Utilization Learning Center
Awards Banquet	Following Contest	Harbor Lights – North Platte, NE

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 this website.

Regional Eligibility

Regional Eligibility will be based on geography and past participation. Those universities that have competed at the North Central Weed Science Society student weeds contest in 3 of the last 4 stand-alone NCWSS contests will have their graduate team placed in the North Central Division of this joint contest, whereas all other WSWS graduate teams will be placed in the Western Division. Undergraduate teams will be combined into a single division.

Team Registration

Participant Registration Form – Due May 1, 2026

Final Team Composition – Due July 10, 2026

Registration Fees

NCWSS or WSWS Student – $25

Non NCWSS or WSWS Student – $35

Please mail checks made payable to:

NCWSS
360 Oak Ave, STE 140
Eaton, CO 80615

ATTN: Weeds Contest

If using a credit card, send information to [email protected], referencing the weeds contest.

Registration fee information for those competing in the WSWS contest will be coming soon.

Volunteer Registration

Volunteer Registration form – Due July 10, 2026

Student Weed Contest Rules

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:

Awards list

Awards Banquet Photos

Photos taken by Adam Striegel

Photos provided by Nick Steppig, BASF

2025 Written Calibration Key

2025 Weed ID Key

2025 Herbicide ID Key w Photos

2025 Farmer Problem Key

2025 Team Calibration Key

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

Graduate Individual Awards

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

Graduate Team Awards

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

Undergraduate Individual Awards

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

Undergraduate Team Awards

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

Graduate Individual Awards

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

Graduate Team Awards

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.

Undergraduate Individual Awards

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

Undergraduate Team Awards

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

Graduate Individual Awards

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

Graduate Team Awards

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

Undergraduate Individual Awards

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

Undergraduate Team Awards

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