KCCC Landscape Design & Management team takes 3rd at 2025 Ohio Landscape Olympics

Knox County Career Center’s Landscape Design & Management program won third place at the 10th Annual 2025 Ohio Green Industry Association’s Ohio High School Landscape Olympics, which was held at Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster.

KCCC’s Landscape Olympics is coming off a second place finish in the OHLO in 2024 after earning back-to-back first place finishes in 2021 and 2022.

OGIA’s OHLO tests students’ skills through hands-on, competitive events designed by industry professionals. OHLO broadens the high school education experience and introduces students to the many opportunities offered by a career in the green industry.

KCCC’s Landscape Design & Management students competed in 19 events against 17 other schools. KCCC had two students who finished as OHLO Top Individuals. Hudson Henry, senior, finished in 6th place overall, and Charley Beheler, senior, finished in 7th place overall.

OHLO is open to all Ohio high schools and career centers with horticulture programs. Single teams from all participating schools may compete in all events. Competitive events test the student’s abilities to interact in a hands-on environment. Events are planned, implemented, and scored by industry sponsors using guidelines generated by OGIA.

“I would like to thank all of the industry professionals for taking the time to judge each event and meet with students. OHLO is judged and put on entirely by businesses in the industry, ” said John Campbell, KCCC’s Landscape Design & Management instructor. “Our students performed well, and our juniors are already excited about next year. Congratulations to Hudson and Charley on earning top 10 finishes.”

Individual event results

Chainsaw — Grady Row, 8th place

Compact Excavator — Charley Beheler, 7th place

Cost Estimating — Weston Bostic and Noah Maleszewski, 10th place

Hardscape Installation — Kyra Carpenter and Ayden Hinger, fourth place

Irrigation — Hudson Henry and Logan Marsell, seventh place

Landscape Design — Sara Wilson, fourth place

Landscape Maintenance — Charley Beheler and Brandon Derflinger, second place

Low Voltage — Grady Row, fourth place

Mini Track — Hudson Henry, first place

Sales Presentation — Charley Beheler, third place

Skid Steer — Hudson Henry, eighth place

Sod Installation — Weston Bostic and Ethan Hurlow, third place

Surveying — Weston Bostic and Galen Ruphrect, ninth place

Tree Climbing — Logan Marsell and Noah Thoen, second place

Truck & Trailer — Charley Beheler and Hudson Henry, third place

Woody Plant ID — Tycen Proper, ninth place

Plant Installation — Weston Bostic, Grady Row and Kyra Carpenter, fifth place