Congrats to the 2025 University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) turf teams, which finished respectfully 16th, 38th, and 44th out of 76 teams at the Turf Bowl in the 2025 Golf Course Superintendent Association of America (GCSAA) conference in San Diego. The students who participated in the GCSAA Turf Bowl were Scout Allen, Matt Boyd, Ridge Gerstberger, Walker Petersen, Riley Dinslage, Ryan Knipping, Easton Petsche, Jackson Robbins, Trevor Beckenhauer, Joshua Hong, Alex Painter, and Josh Zarybnicky. UNL turfgrass science and management students also participated in the student challenge at the Sports Field Management Association Conference (SFMA) in Palm Springs, Calif. and placed 21st out of 30 teams. The SFMA Student Challenge team included Alex Painter, Carson Vachal, and Aaron Barnhouse. This also marks the first time the UNL turf team has participated in the SFMA Student Challenge since 2017.
The topics at the Turf Bowl during the GCSAA conference included multiple-choice questions related to turfgrass management, turfgrass identification, insect and disease identification, weed identification, and seed identification related to golf course management. The SFMA Student Challenge followed a format similar to the GCSAA Turf Bowl, but with a stronger emphasis on sports field management. The UNL turfgrass teams were guided by Anne Streich, Professor of Practice, and Amanda Folck, Assistant Extension Educator in Turfgrass Management, both from the Agronomy and Horticulture Department. During both conferences, the students interacted with various representatives from the turfgrass industry.
Again, congrats to the UNL turfgrass science and management students who participated in the 2025 GCSAA Turf Bowl and SFMA Student Challenge!
