A team of Cal Poly Pomona plant science students recorded a top-10 finish at the national Turf Bowl competition on Feb. 5 in San Diego.
Helena Novak-Murano, Jeffrey Hoyt Jr., Magdaleno Basilio, and Joel Torres took ninth place out of 76 teams at the annual Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) event.
It was the highest place finish by a West Coast team this year and the 11th consecutive competition that a Cal Poly Pomona team has finished in the top 10.
During the Turf Bowl, participants are tested on their ability to identify turfgrass, insects, diseases and equipment. They must also know how to evaluate the water needs of turf, to calculate water usage, and how to manage water. Students are also tested on employment laws, accounting and financial management principles.
The tests are in the form of multiple-choice, short answer and identification questions. Students also had to write an essay in response to a scenario in a case study of a golf course.
The 76 teams at this year’s Turf Bowl consisted of 276 students representing 29 universities across North America. A team from Penn State University took first place in this year’s competition.
In addition to the ninth-place finish team, Cal Poly Pomona sent three other teams to the Turf Bowl, all consisting of first-time competitors. They included:
- 36th place: Erik DeLeon, Rodrigo Baca, Matt Parada, and Daphne Cheung
- 63rd place: Isaih Baldo, Cassie Calvin, Manuel Becerra, and Andrea Miguel Dolores
- 68th place: Isis Tapia, America Garcia, Jacqueline Serna, and Taylor Bonds.
Turf Bowl is an educational activity, and the Cal Poly Pomona students were part of a class – PLT 2990 – Special Topics for Lower Division Students. Lecturer Sean McLaughlin (’18, plant science; ’21, M.S. agriculture, plant science option), Brian Fuertes, and master’s student Joshua Mendez were teams’ coaches.
Cal Poly Pomona’s long history of success at the Turf Bowl includes winning the event in 2020, becoming the first winning team to come from the West Coast and to include female members.
Students who have worked in Cal Poly Pomona’s Center for Center for Turf, Irrigation, and Landscape Technology (CTILT) have found work in the golf course, sports, irrigation, and landscaping industry, including at Angels Stadium and Disneyland.
The Turf Bowl is part of the GSCAA’s annual Conference and Trade Show.