Rossville FFA students turned knowledge, preparation and teamwork into an impressive collection of awards at the 2026 West Central Region Soils Judging competition, with multiple teams and individuals earning the opportunity to advance to the state level.
The West Central Region competition was held Sept. 24 in Darlington as part of Indiana’s FFA and 4-H Soil Judging Career Development Event program. The competition challenges students to evaluate soil properties and use their observations to make recommendations involving agricultural production and home-site development. Regional competition also serves as the qualifying route to the Indiana state contest.
Rossville’s results were highlighted by the high school Master Team, which captured first place in the region and qualified for state competition.
Alaina Jamison led the Master Team with a third-place individual finish, followed closely by Colton Crum in fourth place and Allison Wallace in sixth. Their combined performances propelled Rossville to the regional championship.
Rossville’s success continued in the Senior division.
The Senior Team of Logan Schwartz, Evan McDonald and Lucas Bush placed third overall and qualified for state competition. Schwartz finished fourth individually, while McDonald placed fifth.
A second Rossville Senior Team also punched its ticket to state competition with an eighth-place regional finish. Team members Olivia Michael, Leif Eller and Sophee Richey contributed to the strong showing.
The success was not limited to Rossville High School.
Rossville Middle School students demonstrated that the future of the FFA program is equally promising. The Junior Team of Layla Schwartz, Eleanor Richey, Henry Thompson and Odin Chapman earned second place in the West Central Region and qualified for state competition.
Schwartz finished second individually in the Junior division, while Richey earned a top-10 finish by placing 10th.
Rossville’s 10th-place Junior Team consisted of Denver Mackey, Carolina Gross and Anna Louks. Mackey delivered another standout individual performance for Rossville, placing third and earning an individual state qualification.
The 11th-place Junior Team included Anison Workman, Beverly Wilson and Elijah Freeman, adding additional regional competition experience for Rossville’s younger FFA members.
The results continue a tradition of participation and achievement for the Rossville FFA Chapter, which dates back to 1944. The chapter provides students opportunities to develop agricultural knowledge, leadership skills and practical experience through a wide range of Career Development Events and community activities.
Several members of the soils teams are involved in multiple areas of FFA competition. Rossville FFA’s current officer information, for example, identifies Olivia Michael as participating in soils, agronomy, crop scouting and floriculture; Colton Crum in soils, agronomy, welding and wildlife; and Leif Eller in several competitive events.
The soils results also come during an active fall for Rossville FFA. Earlier in September, a Rossville team earned seventh place in a Midwest crop scouting competition, with Michael, Richey, Eller and Crum among the team members.
Rossville Consolidated School District has continued to support agricultural education and FFA opportunities. At its September meeting, the district reported donations to the FFA program from ADM, Keystone Cooperative and Clinton County Farm Bureau, while also highlighting upcoming FFA competitions and educational programs.
The regional soils results now give Rossville students another opportunity to represent their school and community on a larger stage. Purdue Extension lists the 2026 Indiana Soil Judging state competition for Saturday, Oct. 17, in west central Indiana.
For Rossville FFA, the regional results represent more than trophies and rankings. They reflect hours of preparation, learning in the field, teamwork and a willingness by students to put their agricultural knowledge to the test.
With a regional championship, a regional runner-up finish, multiple top individual performances and a large contingent advancing to state competition, Rossville FFA has plenty to celebrate.
And for these young Hornets, the season is not finished yet.
Congratulations to all of the Rossville FFA Soils Judging competitors and best of luck to the state qualifiers as they represent Rossville at the Indiana State Soils Judging competition.
