Rangeland Cup team makes history

The three-person team from CSC won the Society for Range Management's Rangeland Cup at Albuquerque, N.M., in February. The team ended Utah State University's run as the only school to ever win the title.

The victory follows the CSC team's first-place finish at the Wyoming SRM Section meeting in November 2008. This marks the first time ever that both cups have resided at the same school. Members of the winning team are Ericka Backes of Bushnell, Kassie Bales of Cody, Wyo., and Jamie Hornickel of Ord.

The Rangeland Cup competition is an activity to promote critical thinking and collaborative work on current and historical topics about rangeland ecology and management.

CSC's winning team presented information about homesteading patterns of the past, present and future and their impacts on land management.

The three team members were among CSC's contingent of 11 students who attended the SRM meeting, Feb. 7-12. In addition to the Rangeland Cup, students competed in extemporaneous speaking, range plant identification and the undergraduate range management exam.

CSC student Shelley Miller of Scottsbluff received second place in extemporaneous speaking.

Also, Miller and Hornickel were elected to the International Student Conclave as officers. Miller will serve as the 2009-2010 president and Hornickel the 2009-2010 reporter

The other CSC students who participated in the competitions are Peyton Bahe of Gothenberg, Andy Houser of Stockville, Austin Horn of Sidney, Kristy Kemp of Maywood, Alysia Towey of Sargent, Amy Tullis of Torrington, Wyo., Dan Ruterbories of Ord.

The group was led by CSC faculty members Dr. Chuck Butterfield and Dr. Georgia Younglove.