OSU Turfgrass Alumni and Students Shine in San Antonio
The Sports Turf Managers Association held its 25th annual conference January 21- 25 in San Antonio, Texas. The OSU turfgrass science program was heavily involved in the meeting.
Dr. David Shetlar from the Department of Entomology was a featured speaker at the event, presenting to a full room on Insect Control Update – Current and Future Programs
The OSU Turfgrass Club sent a three member team to compete in the STMA Student Challenge, a four-hour exam that tests all aspects of Turfgrass and Athletic Field Management. The club brought back a top 10 finish. The team spent the rest of the week interacting with vendors and professionals at the trade show and attending educational sessions. They also got the opportunity to explore San Antonio and visit the Alamo.
Zac Avers, A member of the turfgrass club, was awarded the organization’s Gary VandenBerg Internship Grant. This is a scholarship/grant to help turfgrass students offset the costs of traveling for an internship. Zac spent the summer of 2013 working under the tutelage of Steve Braddock at the Arsenal Football Club Training Grounds in London, England.
The STMA also recognized two OSU Turfgrass Alumni as new members to their Certified Sports Field Manger program. Brett Tanner (2007), Athletic Campus Supervisor at DePauw University and Weston Appelfeller (2006), Director of Grounds at Columbus Crew Stadium both meet the requirements of education and experience and passed a four part certification exam during 2013. This is quite an achievement as there are only 200 Certified Sports Field Managers in the organization.
The Columbus Crew grounds staff was honored by having their Stadium’s field named Professional Soccer Field of the Year. This is the second time in 4 years that Columbus Crew Stadium has won this award. Director of Grounds and OSU Turfgrass Alumni Weston Appelfeller, CSFM (2006) also has 4 other OSU Turfgrass Alumni on his staff; Ben Jackson, Assistant Head Groundskeeper (2013), Mitch Litz, Assistant Groundskeeper (2009); Gary Rasor, Senior Advisor (1969) and Reese Overly, Intern (2014 ATI).