Heartland, Hampton, Aurora in Top Four at 2026 South Central Land Evaluation Contest

Heartland, Hampton, Aurora in Top Four at 2026 South Central Land Evaluation Contest

2026 South Central Land Judging, students received instructions at Pit #4

by Marcia Lee, Central Platte NRD, Information & Education Specialist

student in the soil pit during the 2026 South Central Land Judging Competition

(Wood River, NE) - Heartland High School earned first-place team honors at the 2026 South Central Land Evaluation Contest, held September 30, 2026, near Wood River. The winning team included Waylon Tessman, David Hiebner, Luke Janzen, and Jagger Regier. Madalyn Janzen, Heartland’s agriculture education instructor and FFA advisor, coached the team and also earned second place in the contest’s adult division.  Deshler, Hampton, Aurora, Palmer, and Blue Hill rounded out the top six places.   
Approximately 380 students and 13 instructors from 24 high schools participated in the event, hosted by the Central Platte Natural Resources District (CPNRD) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Despite the threat of heavy rainfall and muddy conditions, students completed the contest at The Nature Conservancy’s Platte River Prairies Preserve. The site provided an ideal range of soil conditions, including soils formed in loess and glacial till, as well as clay loam and silty clay textures.
(Right: Students in Soil Pit 1 evaluate various soil characteristics, such as soil depth and surface-soil thickness.)  
(Below: Students at Soil Pit 4 assess soil texture.)
Students test soil texture at 2026 South Central Land Judging Contest
The Land Evaluation Contest challenges high school students to strengthen their understanding of soil structure, land capability and sound land-management practices.  At four soil pits, participants used evaluation cards to assess soil depth, surface texture, permeability, slope, surface-soil thickness, and erosion. The top four scores from each school's FFA chapter are combined to determine final team standings, while each student also competes for individual honors. The top-placing individuals, teams, and adults are listed below.
2026 South Central Individual Top Winners:
1st Place: Waylon Tessman, Heartland
2nd Place: David Hiebner, Heartland
3rd Place: Colton Sigler, Aurora
4th Place: Landyn Tuma, Deshler
5th Place: Makenna Freitag, Deshler
6th Place: Annie Linehan, Aurora
2026 South Central Team Top Winners:
1st Place: Heartland (Waylon Tessman, David Hiebner, Luke Janzen, Jagger Regier)
2nd Place: Deshler (Landyn Tuma, Makenna Freitag, Marlee Webber, Braxton Peterson)
3rd Place: Hampton (Mason Wiens, Brayden Wolinski, Cason Bamesberger, Noah Miller)
4th Place: Aurora (Colton Sigler, Annie Linehan, Emersyn Dinville, James Kojak)
5th Place: Palmer (Audryna Scheer, Shyann Zmek, Samantha Hall, Regan Burkhardt)
6th Place: Blue Hill (Lane Kohmetscher, Lauren Kohmetscher, Ella Brenn, Ryder Zimmerman)
2026 South Central Adult Results:
1st Place: Joel Miller, Hampton FFA
2nd Place: Madalyn Janzen, Heartland FFA
3rd Place: Maggie Vyhnalek, Bruning-Davenport FFA
A student surveys the slope at the 2026 South Central Land Judging Contest
(Above: A student determines the slope of the landscape. Soil characteristics are affected by several factors, including slope.)
Seven regional land evaluation contests are held across Nebraska each fall. Qualifying teams and individuals advance to the state contest, which will be hosted by the Lower Big Blue NRD on October 14, 2026. The top five Nebraska teams from the state contest will advance to the national competition hosted in Oklahoma.

A student uses the "pencil test" to help assess soil texture during the 2026 South Central Land Judging Contest..

(Above: A student at Soil Pit 3 uses the "pencil test" to help assess surface-soil thickness, soil texture, and changes in soil horizons.)