CALS Competition Teams Level Up Your College Experience
Competition teams provide students with transformative experiences that promote academic excellence, belonging and deeper college engagement.
Students at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences have the opportunity to compete against the best collegiate teams in the nation, solve real-world challenges and build lifelong connections while they learn.
NC State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) offers over 30 student competition teams, with topics ranging from insects to soil to robotics.
CALS’ competition teams foster academic excellence, boost career readiness and enhance well-being and belonging.
Explore the following teams that help students grow, succeed and find community.
- Agribusiness Sales Team
- Entomology Games
- Food Science Club IFTSA College Bowl Team
- HortPack
- Pack Pullers
- RoboPack
- Soil Judging Team
Agribusiness Sales Team: Crafting the Perfect Pitch
NC State’s Agribusiness Sales Team debuted at the National Agri-Marketing Association Sales Competition in 2024. The competition tests individual contestants’ basic sales call skills and performance. Students Josh Miller and Samantha Eubanks finished first and third in the finals.
Supported by the Department of Agricultural Resource Economics, students are selected for the team through Professional Selling in the Modern Ag Industry, a sales workshop taught by Aaron Messer, area business manager at Bayer Crop Science. Under Messer’s leadership, the team is preparing for long-term success and a return to the national stage in April 2025.
“His coaching has been instrumental in refining sales presentations and developing essential skills,” says Fleming Fulford, an agriculture business management student. After seeing the team’s success, she was inspired to take the sales workshop.
“Because sales is such a valuable business function and skill set, I decided to take the sales workshop in 2025,” Fulford says. “Last year’s team inspired me to take the workshop to make this year’s team.” The team adds value as she prepares for her future career, competes academically and embraces “Think and Do” spirit of the Wolfpack.
How to get involved
Interested students should sign up for Professional Selling in the Modern Ag Industry for the fall semester. After completing the workshop, students can apply for the sales team.
Entomology Games: Buzzing with Curiosity
For four decades, NC State has showcased its buzzworthy expertise in entomology through the annual Entomology Games. Launched in 1982 by the Entomological Society of America’s North Central Branch, the competition now draws college teams nationwide.
Supported by the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, the NC State team has won at least 15 Southeastern Branch titles (a record for the region) and secured second place at the 2024 national games in Phoenix, Arizona. For over 40 years, the team has claimed three national championships and five runner-up finishes.
NC State students competing at the Entomological Society of America Southeastern Branch games in 2024. From left to right: Dayvion Adams, Regan Daniels, Ariel Tarrand and Zachary Everson 
An article highlighting the team’s Entomological Society of America Southeastern Branch win in 2003. 
2002 NC State team that placed second nationally. From left to right: Wes Watson (coach), Juan Cabrera, Tracy Rennie, Matt Bertone, Chad Gore, Dawn Calibeo and Jim Harper (former department head) 
NC State team at the Entomological Society of America Southeastern Branch games in 2024. From left to right: Ariel Tarrand, Zachary Everson, Matt Bertone (coach), Regan Daniels, Kaylin Lewandowski and Dayvion Adams 
A retired trophy housed at NC State
Experienced as both a competitor and coach, Matt Bertone, director of the Plant Disease and Insect Clinic, noted that some teams rely on a standout player.
“What makes our current lineup so great is that the members have their specialties with abundant knowledge, competitive skill and enthusiasm,” he says. “It’s rare to have a team that is so well-rounded and able to tackle the array of questions they receive. They’re truly formidable and a complete joy to coach.”
The games help the team members build friendships, connect at national meetings and make learning more engaging. Challenging other top students nationwide fuels their competitive drive and boosts confidence. The games also unite the department, sparking pride and excitement — especially when they win!
How to get involved
Interested students can visit the departmental web page or contact Matt Bertone at maberto2@ncsu.edu.
Food Science Club: Rebuilding for a Comeback
Since 1985, the Institute of Food Technologists Student Association (IFTSA) College Bowl Competition has tested students’ knowledge in food chemistry, microbiology, engineering, food laws and IFT-related trivia.
After the pandemic disrupted the NC State’s IFTSA College Bowl team’s activities, a group of first-year students from the Food Science Club rallied to revive the team. With their first regional competition at Virginia Tech in March 2025, they’re eager to prove themselves and earn a spot at this summer’s national competition in Chicago, Illinois.
Since 2000, NC State teams have won 11 regional and four national championships, including rare back-to-back national wins in 2000 and 2001.
Restarting the club and competition team has renewed CALS students’ sense of purpose and resilience.
“I love the camaraderie we’re building,” says co-captain Klaudia Sullivan, a food science major in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences. “It makes me excited to move forward with the team.”
How to get involved
Interested students can attend a Food Science Club meeting every Tuesday in Schaub Hall at 6 p.m. (with free dinner at 5:30 p.m.).
- Website: https://www.ncsufsc.com/basic-01
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ncsu_fsc
HortPack: Cultivating Leaders in Landscaping
Since 1990, NC State’s HortPack has competed in the National Collegiate Landscape Competition, a hands-on, industry-driven tournament where students test their skills in 30 events against 50 schools.
From plant identification to excavator operation, this week-long experience, also called the “Landscape Olympics,” blends classroom knowledge with real-world training.
With support from industry partners, donors and local sponsors, students gain invaluable networking opportunities, mentorship and job prospects. The competition’s career fair is the largest in the green industry, opening doors to national employers.
HortPack students won scholarships from the National Association of Landscape Professionals in 2024. Left to right: Andrew Quate, Brady Farlow, Lauren Turner, Daniel Wasserman, Ava Anderson and Adam Miller 
Students Taylor Snyder and Nick Taylor after participating in the truck and trailer competition 
Students Nicole Vitale and Joy Othoo after competing in the irrigation assembly event together 
HortPack team and advisors on stage after being awarded the Real Stihl Spirit Award for the team that exhibits the best attitude, camaraderie, and dedication during the competition
NC State’s team has placed in the top 10, including a third-place finish in 2022 and back-to-back Real STIHL Spirit Awards.
“HortPack is a beautiful blend of hands-on learning and industry experience,” says Isaac Lewis, administrative support specialist for undergraduate programs in the Department of Horticultural Science. “It combines classroom teaching with boots-on-the-ground learning, helping students grow deeper roots in their future careers.”
How to get involved
Students interested in joining should attend an early HortPack meeting in August when team building and preparation for the March event begin. Horticultural science students will receive an email with details, and HortPack members regularly announce opportunities in classes throughout CALS departments.
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ncsuhortpack
Pack Pullers: Champions of Innovation
Founded in 1998, NC State’s Pack Pullers is a competitive, hands-on team from the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering. Electrical engineering and agricultural business students also participate. They compete annually in the International 1/4 Scale Tractor Student Design Competition, gaining engineering experience and industry connections.
The team consistently competes against top Midwestern schools and made history in 2024 as international champions. Out of 60 competing universities, they are now the ninth team to achieve victory, solidifying their place among the competition’s elite.
Over the past three years, they have won first and second in durability, third in pulls and first in overall performance events.
NC State Chancellor Randy Woodson and CALS Dean Garey Fox pose with 2024 Pack Pullers champions 
CALS Dean Garey Fox with the Pack Pullers team
Pack Pullers design and build their tractors in-house with cutting-edge support from NC State’s BAE Research Shop.
This year, the team faces a new challenge — build and present a tractor using a Kawasaki engine and Titan tires. Industry experts will judge these entries on innovation, safety and ease of production.
How to get involved
As they refine their designs, Pack Pullers welcomes new members to help design and build exciting projects. Contact Tommy Stephenson or Grant Ellington for more information.
- Website: https://bae.ncsu.edu/pack-pullers
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ncsupackpullers
RoboPack: Innovating the Future of Robotics
RoboPack is an agricultural robotics team supported by the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering. The team designs, builds and deploys autonomous robots for tasks like field mapping, pruning and egg grading.
Since its founding in 2023, RoboPack has quickly gained recognition. The team competes annually at the American Society of Biological and Agricultural Engineers (ASABE) international competition.
The team won first place with a cotton field mapping robot in its first competition. In 2024, the advanced division team secured another first-place finish for a robot that analyzes strawberry field health.
“More than awards, RoboPack values growth, outreach and interdisciplinary collaboration,” says team president Evelynn Wilcox, adding that the group focuses on making agricultural robotics more accessible to a broader range of participants.
RoboPack designs robots for real agricultural challenges, such as unpredictable terrain, irregular objects and changing light conditions. Students get hands-on experience in robotics and coding while building teamwork skills.
The team continues to expand its impact and prepare students to compete at the 2025 ASABE international competition in Toronto, Canada.
“We aim to build a strong legacy — much like Pack Pullers — by mentoring future members and increasing interest in precision agriculture,” Wilcox says.
How to get involved
Students can get involved by contacting baerobopack@ncsu.edu or Evelynn Wilcox at emwilco2@ncsu.edu.
Soil Judging Team: Digging Deep into Success
The NC State Soil Judging Team was established in 1959 and attended its first competition in 1961. Soil Judging is a national intercollegiate contest in which teams analyze soil profiles, assessing their color, texture and structure to determine land use suitability. Teams compete at the regional level in the fall, with top finishers advancing to nationals in the spring.
The team boasts five regional championships and multiple top-three national finishes. Since 2018, every NC State team has qualified for nationals, a program record. In 2022, Curtis Murphy placed sixth globally, aiding Team USA’s win. NC State also secured second at nationals, with Sarah Bailey and Noah Puckett winning regionals in 2023 and 2024.
NC State University Soil Judging Team – 1960 including Alumni Distinguished Professor of Crop Science Bob Patterson (second from right) 
NC State University Soil Judging Team – 1977 
Four team members in a practice pit at the 2024 regionals in Kentucky 
2023 Regionals team in West Virginia (left to right): Michael Caldwell, Lexi Seal (eighth), Sarah Tolman, Sarah Bailey (first), Tommy Godwin, Jordan Harris, Francesca Gervase, Adam Miller, and West Virginia soil judging coach 
Associate Professor Matthew Ricker (left) and Research Specialist Jacob Cheers (right) strike a pose in 2022.
Coached by Matthew Ricker, associate professor in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, the team is preparing to host the 2025 regionals and 2026 nationals — back-to-back events. One ongoing goal: surpass long-time rival Virginia Tech!
“Joining the Soil Judging Team provides a great way to gain field experience first-hand quickly,” Bailey says. “Not only are you learning in class before the competition about different landscapes, geology and pedology, but you also get one full week of experience in the field. This quick, immersive experience is rare.”
Dedication and fellowship make this team stand out. Members take competition seriously but keep the atmosphere lighthearted. “This team increases your social skills and helps create new friendships,” Bailey says.
How to get involved
Interested students can participate by taking Soil Judging for Land Evaluation (SSC 410) during the fall semester. Soil Science (SSC 200) is a prerequisite. Please email Professor Matthew Ricker at mcricker@ncsu.edu for more information.
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