Kansas State Tops 2023 National Crops Contests
Kansas State University took first place in both the Kansas City American Royal Collegiate Crops Contest and the Chicago Collegiate Crops Contests in November 2023. Iowa State University was second at both contests, and the University of Wisconsin–Platteville placed third. The Kansas State team had the top three individuals in both contests, and their team score at Chicago was the fifth highest ever in the 100‐year history of the Chicago contest that first started in 1923.
Top Individuals
The top individuals overall in Kansas City were:
- Renae Sinclair, Kansas State University
- Landon Trout, Kansas State University
- Quinten Bina, Kansas State University
- Courtney Harle, Iowa State University
- Tyler Atkinson, Iowa State University
- Mandi Schick, University of Wisconsin–Platteville
- Aiden Bobholz, Iowa State University
- April Molitor, University of Wisconsin–Platteville
- Tori Booker, Oklahoma State University
- Cade Halbrook, Oklahoma State University
At Chicago, the top individuals were:
- Renae Sinclair, Kansas State University
- Landon Trout, Kansas State University
- Quinten Bina, Kansas State University
- Courtney Harle, Iowa State University
- Mandi Schick, University of Wisconsin–Platteville
- Tyler Atkinson, Iowa State University
- Aiden Bobholz, Iowa State University
- April Molitor, University of Wisconsin–Platteville
- Keigo Imal, South Dakota State University
- Noah Ziegler, South Dakota State University
In the three contest components, Renae Sinclair took first place in both Plant and Seed Identification and Seed Analysis at both contests. At Kansas City, Renae Sinclair, Landon Trout, and Quinten Bina tied for first place with perfect scores in Grain Grading while Sinclair, Trout, and Courtney Harle tied for first place in Grain Grading at Chicago.
Sponsors and Tours
The CME Group was the major sponsor in Chicago, and the Society of Commercial Seed Technologists provided support for the awards. The top five individuals in Chicago received scholarships from the CME Group.
The Chicago contest celebrated 100 years of history with former coach Roger Higgs from the University of Wisconsin–Platteville as the keynote speaker at the awards banquet. The contest and banquet were held at the Loyola University Water Tower campus. The pre‐contest tour visited the Farm on Ogden, a multiuse facility in the Lawndale neighborhood that supports a healthy urban community by bringing food, health, and jobs together in one location.
The American Royal coordinated the Kansas City contest with Corteva Agriscience as the primary sponsor. Additional sponsors were the CHS Foundation, the Association of Official Seed Analysts, and the South Dakota Crop Improvement Association. Team scholarships were provided for the top five teams in Kansas City.
The pre‐contest tour visited the National Grain Center, Bartlett Company, Bayer Crop Science, and John Deere. The contest was held at the National Grain Center while the tour lunch and awards banquet were held at the American Royal facilities.
Support for both contests was also provided by ASA and CSSA. The Federal Grain Inspection Service and the South Dakota State University Seed Testing Lab prepared the contest materials for both events.
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