Fifteen Chattahoochee Technical College horticulture students recently attended the 40th Annual National Collegiate Landscape Competition. Pictured, from left, are: Asa Weems, Heiny Martinez, Sylvia Ramey, William Kramer, Molly Ferguson, Scott Faulkner, Darious Hopkins, Aaron Driver, Josh Schrager, Dylan Cochran, Nathaniel Brigham, Corey Cantlon, Luke Brummeler, Denna Pace, Nathan Byrd and Instructor John Hatfield.
Fifteen Chattahoochee Technical College horticulture students celebrated over the weekend after learning that the team had fared well in the 40th Annual National Collegiate Landscape Competition – a three-day event designed to jumpstart horticultural careers for college students.
Organized by the National Association of Landscape Professionals (formerly known as PLANET), the event was held March 16-19 at Mississippi State University. More than 600 students from approximately 65 universities and colleges competed in events directly related to the skills necessary for a career in the Green Industry, including tree climbing, hardscape installation, wood construction, sales presentation, skid steer operation, and plant identification. They also participated in a career fair that allows recruiters from approximately 75 companies to interview students for jobs.
Led by instructor John Hatfield, Chattahoochee Technical College’s team scored a combined 2393.30 points at the competition to secure a 23rd-place finish. Along with the school’s overall achievement, CTC student and Hiram resident Scott Faulkner was announced as a top finisher at the event, placing 20th out of 683 individual competitors and scoring 346.50 points in the five events he competed in.
In addition, CTC student Aaron Driver, of Powder Springs, earned a sixth-place finish in the business management event; Nathan Byrd, of Powder Springs, finished third in compact excavator operation; Darious Hopkins, of Powder Springs, and Driver finished 10th in hardscape installation; and Denna Pace, of Woodstock, finished ninth in turf and weed identification.
Faulkner finished eighth in computer aided design; William Kramer, of Marietta, and Sylvia Ramey, of Marietta, finished 12th in employee development; Nathaniel Brigham, of Marietta finished 11th in irrigation design; and Heiny Martinez, of Atlanta, and Hopkins finished 12th place in landscape maintenance operations.
Additional members of Chattahoochee Technical College’s team were: Dylan Cochran, of Adairsville; Josh Schrager, of Marietta; Luke Brummeler, of Marietta; Asa Weems, of Marietta; Molly Ferguson, of Marietta; and Corey Cantlon, of Dallas.