Tri-C Students to Compete in Olympics of Landscaping

College team aims to grow on success from last year’s event

Sixteen students from Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C®) will compete March 12-15 at PLANET Student Career Days, a national collegiate landscaping competition taking place at North Carolina State University.

More than 850 college students from 65 of the nation’s top horticulture and landscape programs are expected to attend the three-day competition. They will test their skills in 28 events at the Olympics of Landscaping.

Students will compete in 3-D landscape design, irrigation techniques, hardscape installation, plant identification, small engine repair and many more events requiring the expertise needed to work in the industry.

The competition is organized by the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET). Student Career Days is a leading recruitment event for the $73 billion landscape industry, where there is high demand for skilled workers.

In 2014, Tri-C student Hayden Angelotta placed first among all individuals at the event and the College’s team placed fifth, tops among two-year schools.

“By their success last year, our students proved that Cuyahoga Community College has one of the strongest horticulture programs in the nation,” said Jim Funai, assistant professor of plant science and landscape technology at Tri-C.

Tri-C’s Plant Science and Landscape Technology program prepares students for careers in landscape design and construction; garden center or nursery management; and other horticulture fields.

March 05, 2015