College Tops Field for 10th Time in Regional Landscape Competition

Published 04.12.2000

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Student News

A team of Landscape/Nursery Technology and Floral Design/Interior Plantscape students from Pennsylvania College of Technology registered the College's 10th first-place finish in 16 years at the Mid-Atlantic 2000 Horticulture-Landscape Field Day, held April 8 at Long Island, NY.

Penn College competed against nine other colleges in 17 categories in the Field Day, which was held at State University of New York Farmingdale.

Penn College competitors also came away with the top two individual honors. Gregory A. Walter, a Landscape/Nursery Technology student from Middleburg, received the highest individual point total. Ronald R. Shambach Jr., a Landscape/Nursery Technology student from Selinsgrove, amassed the second-highest total.

Walter competed in the outdoor plant ID and herbaceous plant ID categories. Shambach competed in the landscape design and balling-and-burlapping categories.

Other students competing and their categories were: James Alan Bartram, Lincoln University, weed and turf ID, outdoor plant ID and pruning; Edward T. Bendas, Shamokin; landscape design; Jamie R. Boob,

Millmont RR 1, floral design; Brian J. Brown, Rome, arboricultural techniques; Ryan E. Buckwalter, Birdsboro, patio construction and surveying; Adam M. Bupp, Manchester, disease and plant ID and landscape construction estimation; Jeff Derby, Perkaskie, arboricultural techniques and pruning; Jill E. Hoffines, Marietta, floral design; Erik C. Kuntz, York, patio construction and surveying; Jason N. Lutz, Cogan Station, disease and plant ID; Grant A. Moyer, South Williamsport, sales presentation and people management skills; Jason P. Narber, Boalsburg, botany and landscape construction estimation; Michael A. Raywood, Coatesville, interior plant ID; Henry B. Ronneberg, Hepburn Heights, Cogan Station, botany and surveying; Joda L. Schena, Williamsport, interior plant ID; Luke A. Smith, Lewisburg, balling and burlapping; Katherine M. Tucker, Montoursville, herbaceous plant ID; and Theodore A. Zeljak, Beaver Falls, weed and turf ID.

Another 21 students attended as observers, most of them first-year students who will compete in the Field Day next year.

Accompanying the students were Richard J. Weilminster, professor of horticulture; Dennis E. Fink, assistant professor of horticulture; Bruce A. Sechrist, horticulture technician; and Christine A. Fink, florist.

Penn College has accepted an invitation to host the Mid-Atlantic 2001 Horticulture-Landscape Field Day, Weilminster said.