A multidisciplinary team of students placed 12th out of 60 schools in the national PLANET Student Career Days competition.
Alex Casillas took second in 3D landscape design, Isaac Rosales and Kirk Weatherton placed second in irrigation construction, and Sonia Rios received third in the leadership category. Casillas was the second-highest scoring student overall and received a $1,000 prize.
Cal Poly Pomona’s 11-person team included six students from the College of Agriculture, four from landscape architecture and one biological sciences student. They were advised by plant sciences Professor Fred Roth.
About 800 students competed in various turf and landscape events March 18-20 at Joliet Junior College in Joliet, Ill. Events included tree climbing, wood construction, irrigation assembly, skid steer operation and plant identification. In its 35th year, the competition is organized by the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET), a lawn and landscape association.