SUNY Fredonia team practicing their descriptions for the leadup to the competition including (left to right) Mia Enders, Emma Steffenhagen, Weston Hepler and Alex Gombos.
During March 22 to 27 in Raleigh, NC, the Fredonia Soil Judging team went after a National Championship.
What is soil judging? Associate Professor Matthew Purtill noted that soil judging functions as an immersive “field conference,” during which undergraduate students learn to describe and interpret soil morphology, landscape context, and classification, culminating in land-use interpretations. It combines field science, critical thinking, and teamwork — preparing students for careers in soil science, environmental consulting, conservation, and geoscience.
Teams first compete at regional events in the fall, and qualifying teams advance to the national competition in the spring. This year, Fredonia qualified for the nationals, the only school from New York State to do so. There were over 300 students competing and SUNY Fredonia was also the smallest team. At nationals, Fredonia competed against 29 qualifying teams from across the United States for the title. High-ranking teams from the U.S. also qualified to represent their country at the World Soil Judging Contest during the 23rd World Congress of Soil Science in Nanjing, China in June 2026. The Fredonia team finished 27th at the competition.
Dr. Purtill coached the team along with master’s degree candidate Rachel Echevarria, a ʼ24 graduate who majored in Earth Science as an undergraduate, and ʼ22 alumnus Dominique Martello, who majored in Geology at SUNY Fredonia. Team members for this year’s competition were Alex Gombos, a senior Environmental Sciences major from Lake View, NY; Mia Enders, a senior Geology major from Bath, NY; Emma Steffenhagen, a senior Environmental Sciences major from Machias, NY; and Weston Hepler, a senior Environmental Sciences major from Clymer, NY.
Purtill noted, “Soil Judging is an immersive, hands-on field competition where students from universities across the country literally dig deep into soil profiles and describe properties critical for everything from agriculture production to forestry to construction, to wetland delineation, and to evaluating different potential septic systems. After a few days of intense practice, our team competed head-to-head against undergraduate students from other schools in search of a national title.”
He added, “We were definitely swimming with the big fish, such as schools like Penn State, Maryland, and Texas A&M, all with long-established soil science programs. While many competitors are training to become professional soil scientists, our students are carving out paths in environmental fields where soils still play a critical role.
"One of the highlights? The soils themselves. Raleigh gave us a chance to work with profiles we rarely see in the Northeast, especially ones with deep, iron-rich red soils that really stood out.
"Did we bring home the national title? Not this year, but in many ways, we held our own and we are proud of our accomplishments. We finished ahead of several larger programs, and some of our individual scores were right up there with the best from other schools.
"More importantly, we gained invaluable experience, sharpened our skills, and made great connections along the way.”
The students' participation was supported through the Patrie Fund, established through the Fredonia College Foundation.
