Turf Terps Take 3rd Place at STMA Student Challenge

January 29, 2019

Continuing a tradition that began in 2011, two years after the IAA admitted its first Sports Turf majors, UMD students attended the Sports Turf Managers Association annual conference in Phoenix, AZ on January 23-25.  The STMA conference provided students the opportunity to attend presentations from leading researchers and sports turf managers, meet fellow students and industry professionals, explore the latest equipment and technologies on the STMA Trade Show floor, and, of course, compete in the STMA Student Challenge.

In the Student Challenge, teams of four students are tested in categories such as turfgrass, weed, and disease identification; turfgrass math; irrigation; and soil science. This year’s Turf Terps team members were coached by IAA Turfgrass Management Lecturer Geoffrey Rinehart and Athletics Department Assistant Grounds Manager Alex Steinman and included veterans Brendan Keane (4-year), Max Sturges (IAA), Clayton Young (IAA), and newcomer Ben Word (4-year). The Terps placed 3rd out of 21 teams.

In addition to the conference activities and education, the students visited State Farm Field, home of the Phoenix Cardinals, and took a tour guided by head groundskeeper Andy Levy. The field is truly unique as one of the only retractable fields in the country that can be “wheeled in and wheeled out” of the stadium. The tour opened students to a broader knowledge base and perspective as they learned what it takes to maintain this high-level field with varying multiple events in a challenging environment.

The Turf Terps look forward to their next intercollegiate competition which will be the Golf Industry Show Turf Bowl in San Diego, CA, in a couple of weeks.