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Southern Wells had three teams in the top 10 last week, including the overall champion, at the recent area soils judging contest near Markle.
The team of Sara Alford, Alex Fiock, Derek Price, and Acacia Herr posted the high team score of 1,121 out of a possible 1,308 to win the team championship. Alford, Fiock, and Price are seniors and Herr is a sophomore.
The Southern Wells team of Troy Fiechter, Darin Fiechter, Devin Leas, and Damon Smith was fourth and the team of Quaid Zoda, Jayde Sills, Sadie Herr, and Ian Boxell placed seventh. The fourth Southern Wells team — Tyler Hogston, Andrew Huffman, and Lucas Miller — placed 19th.
There were 21 teams in the event. A team from Columbia City was second, Huntington North teams were third and sixth, and a team from South Adams was fifth. The top six teams advance to the state contest Nov. 1 in Hamilton County.
Alford was second in the individual standings, with 395 points. She was only one point behind Andy Bernhard of Columbia City, the individual winner, who had 396. Acacia Herr was sixth with 369, Fiock ninth at 357, and Price 190th at 355.
Contestants evaluated two homesites and two agriculture sites on Department of Natural Resources land southwest of Markle. Physical properties of the soil profiles were rated and management decisions were made based on the characteristics found in the soil holes. The properties are the same ones used to evaluate soil for home drainage, landscaping and septic system construction and agriculture crop production.
The event was held in Huntington County was sponsored by the Area Purdue Cooperative Extension Service, county Soil and Water Services and northeast Indiana FFA and 4-H chapters.