COLLEGE STATION The Texas A&M University horticulture student club has been “awarded in spades,” according to the group’s advisor, Dr. Dan Lineberger, horticulture professor.
The group earned numerous top honors at the national Association of Collegiate Branches contest which met in conjunction with the American Society for Horticultural Science in Scottsdale, Ariz.
The group took overall team, overall individual and almost all top placings in the divisions, which included judging and identifying woody ornamentals, greenhouse and floral crops, written examination, and vegetable, fruit and nut crops. The Texas A&M team was also named “Outstanding Club” in the large club category.
“Our students organize and force themselves to practice,” Lineberger said. “I put a lot of responsibility on the students to get themselves ready. And in addition to preparing for the contest, they work throughout the year with the citrus sale and plant fair to raise money to defray the cost of going to the contest.”
Tim Hartmann, a junior from Blanco, was named first place overall individual. Second overall winner was Shannon Slivinske, a sophomore from Austin, and third overall was Jon Pixter, a senior from The Woodlands.
Individual placings were:
— Hartmann also placed first on the written exam competition and was second in woody ornamentals and fruits and nuts, and third in greenhouse foliage and floral crops.
— Slivinske was first in fruits and nuts, second in greenhouse foliage and floral crops, and third in the written exam.
— Pixter was first in woody ornamental crops and greenhouse foliage and floral crops.
Morgan Hughes, a senior from Katy, was third in vegetable crops, and fruits and nut crops.
Jeff Mifflin, a senior from San Antonio, was second on the written exam.
Lineberger noted that Texas A&M horticulture club members Monica Robinson, a senior from Flatonia, is vice president of the national student organization, and James Plyler, a senior from Austin, is historian. They assisted with the contest and did not compete.
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