Virginia Tech finishes ninth at 2025 NACTA Soils Contest
Hokies gain hands-on experience in Texas’s shrinking clay soils, with strong individual showings and early career growth for new team members.
Virginia Tech NACTA Soil Judging Team from left back row: Holden Mrizek, Ryan Seeber, Andrew Beattie, Bailey Brethren, Steven Condor. From left front row: co-coaches Will Hernández and Ben Atkins. Photo courtesy of Will Hernández.
In their first return to the event in several years, the Virginia Tech Soil Judging Team finished ninth overall out of 15 teams at the 2025 North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) Soils Contest, held April 7–11 near Canyon, Texas.
Hosted by Lauren Selph, assistant professor at West Texas A&M University, the contest featured two days of practice in local soil pits across Randall County, followed by a day of official judging in which students assessed four pits to determine soil characteristics and land use suitability.
Individually, several Hokies delivered standout performances. Holden Mrizek placed 20th, Ryan Seeber 22nd, Andrew Beattie 54th, Bailey Brethren 69th, and Steven Condor 71st out of 87 participants.
“It’s not every year that Virginia Tech sends a team to NACTA,” said co-coach Will Hernández, a master’s student in crop and soil environmental science at the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences. “With so many students in the club this year, we decided to give some of our newer members a chance to compete and gain experience in the field.”
Contestants studied the Texas Panhandle’s distinctive soils, including Vertisols—expansive clays known for deep surface cracks—and playa lakes, which are shallow, seasonal basins that collect water after heavy rain. Students evaluated each site for practical use cases, such as construction, waste disposal, and road stability.
The experience also gave students a taste of local culture, with a hike in Palo Duro Canyon State Park, a networking dinner featuring locally sourced burgers, and a celebratory rodeo following the contest.
“Giving students an opportunity to attend something as exciting as a soil judging contest early in their academic career keeps them coming back,” Hernández said. “These kinds of events help students build real-world skills, lasting friendships, and a strong sense of connection to their university and field.”
The team of five students was coached by graduate students Ben Atkins from Victoria, VA, and Will Hernández from Lincoln, NE. Beattie is a rising sophomore double majoring in biochemistry and crop and soil sciences from Charles City, VA; Brethren is a rising junior ecological restoration major from Crozet, VA; Condor is a rising junior environmental science major from Newport New, VA; Mrizek is a rising senior environmental science major from Maurertown, VA; and Seeber is a graduated senior environmental science major from Atlanta, GA.