Judges watch closely Friday morning as a competitor attempts to pick up a pallet containing a bucket of water before completing a series of tasks.Photo: Jill Odom
Friday – “game day” at the National Collegiate Landscape Competition (NCLC) – dawned bright and chilly, as the sunny weather that had prevailed on the campus of Mississippi State University since Wednesday was dampened by some late night rain.
Yet, the early morning weather was quite pleasant compared with last year’s downpour at North Carolina State University. Better yet, the sun began to break through by mid-morning on Friday.
Before taking on the snaking obstacle course with a trailer in tow, the two-person teams first loaded and secured their equipment.Photo: Jill Odom
Among numerous NCLC events scattered across the MSU campus was skid steer operation, which was sponsored by Caterpillar.
The course featured a number of obstacles and the students were expected to demonstrate their skill by completing a number of specific requirements. As one might expect, the first portion of the event was a safety walk-around.
Next, the young operators were tasked with picking up a pallet with a water-filled bucket on it.
Each equipment operator had to do a three-point turn in reverse, and then navigate through the tight turns of a serpentine portion of the course. The students were tested in making tight 90-degree turns twice and also had to try to maintain control of the material while lifting the fork arms in certain areas.
The course was filled with cones topped with tennis balls that the operator had to avoid hitting, and they also had to practice using the backup camera at one point.
At the end, the students were awarded points for their time, racking up the maximum of 20 points if they finished in less than 3 minutes and only getting 10 points if they took longer than five. The amount of the material retained at the end of the course was also measured.
“Safety and controlled maneuvering are the main goal of this competition,” said Connie LaFlamme, marketing communications specialist for Caterpillar. “We want to ensure that when these future landscape professionals operate equipment on their customers’ projects, they don’t cause injuries or make costly mistakes.”
Another course that tested students’ maneuvering skills was the Gravely/Ariens-sponsored truck and trailer operation. This competition was not timed, as in previous years.
The first portion however, was a timed, written Department of Transportation test. The student with highest test score got to be the first driver. Next, the two drivers ensure that they have all the safety gear they need, including hardhats, ear protection, safety glasses and hard-soled shoes.
The first driver is responsible for driving the zero-turn mower onto the trailer and the second driver straps the mower down. The first driver backs into a loading zone and then drives through a serpentine portion of the course before switching with the other driver.
This was the first year that both members of the two-person teams were given the opportunity to show their driving skills on the track.
“It’s tight,” said Jay West from Mississippi State University. “You have to take your turns wider. You also have to take into consideration the truck that they use.
“I’m used to driving a Ford, which turns much better, turns quicker,” West said. “Chevy is not as quick, so I had to adjust to that as well. It was just tough all around, but I believe it helped and I can take some stuff away from it.”
The second driver must make it through diminishing clearance while trying not to hit any tennis balls or cones. The course contains a U-turn and another serpentine portion before reaching the last obstacle: a stuffed duck spread out on the road. For every obstacle hit, a point is deducted.
After finishing, the drivers filled out a form and talked about which portions of the course were hard and which were easy. You can bet they’re already thinking about the adjustments they’ll make at next year’s competition.
“I would do it again,” West said. “It’s pretty challenging, but I’m a competitor so I’m always looking to improve. If I could come back and do better on it next year, I’d be willing to do it again.”
Now in its 40th year, NCLC is coordinated by the National Association of Landscape Professionals.
