KCCC students excel at National Collegiate Landscape Competition in Michigan

Knox County Career Center students in Landscape Design & Management competed in the National Collegiate Landscape Competition on March 18-21 at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. KCCC was one of two high schools that competed with over 50 colleges and universities and over 700 competitors.

KCCC competed in 11 events at NCLC. Those events and competitors included: Annual & Perennial ID (Logan Marsell), Compact Excavator Operation (Charley Beheler), Compact Track/Skid Steer Loader Operation (Weston Bostic), Construction Cost Estimating (Weston Bostic & Ethan Hurlow), Hardscape Installation (Kyra Carpenter & Weston Bostic), Irrigation Assembly (Logan Marsell & Hudson Henry), Landscape Plant Installation (Kyra Carpenter, Weston Bostic & Ethan Hurlow), Mini Track Loader Operation (Hudson Henry), Truck & Trailer Operation (Charley Beheler & Hudson Henry), Turf & Weed Identification (Ethan Hurlow), and Woody Ornamental Plant ID (Brandon Derflinger).

Kyra Carpenter and Weston Bostic finished in ninth place out of 39 teams in Hardscape Installation. Weston Bostic finished in 14th place out of 41 teams in Compact Track/Skid Steer Loader Operation. Charley Beheler and Hudson Henry finished in 22nd place out of 40 teams in Truck & Trailer Operation.

“Our seven students from Landscape Design & Management who competed at the National Collegiate Landscape Competition in Michigan represented KCCC very well. Our students competed at a high level, and I’m proud of each one of them,” said John Campbell, KCCC’s Landscape Design & Management instructor.

The NCLC is where landscaping careers take root. Hosted by the National Association of Landscape Professionals, this event has been the landscape industry’s career-defining event for 50 years, helping students launch their future and employers discover top talent. NCLC brings together students, faculty, and industry representatives for four days of hands-on competitive events, a Career Fair, educational workshops, scholarship events, and networking.