Former Students Win Field of the Year!

Staff (left to right) Braeden Gwalchmai, Brian Cafferty, Matthew Sarault, and Head Groundskeeper Guy Vaillancourt receive CAN AM Field of the Year 2018 from league commissioner, Miles Wolff. Photo courtesy of Marc LaFleur.

Guy Vaillancourt and Matthew Sarault both completed the Baseball Field Management certificate course in later summer 2018. And they just won a major award!

The self-paced online certificate course covers topics like field layout, infield skins and pitcher’s mounds, turfgrass maintenance, and pest management. Perfect for groundskeepers, baseball coaches and anybody else interested in baseball or softball field maintenance, the lecture material is offered as audio slideshows and instructional videos. The course material is assessed by students completing quizzes and games.

Another thing Guy and Matthew have in common is that they’re also groundskeepers at Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton Park, Ottawa, Canada, home to the Champions Baseball Club. Guy, the head groundskeeper, has guided his staff to CAN AM Field of the Year awards in 2015, 2016 and 2018.  See OTTAWA’S RCGT PARK NAMED PLAYING FIELD OF THE YEAR.

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Starting a New Chapter

By Amanda Folck

Hi Everyone!

Today is my last day working with Pam Sherratt as a Turfgrass Student Assistant. It is a huge honor to work with Pam and many of the students, people from the turfgrass industry plus faculty and staff that I get the pleasure to work with during my two years at Ohio State. I am graduating on May 7 and receiving my Bachelors of Science degree in Turfgrass and minor in Plant Pathology. I have accepted Continue reading

Ohio State Turf Club Update

By Amanda Folck

On April 21, the Turf Club was represented at the Ag Olympics competition. It was an event that had 12 other college fraternities, sororities, and organizations from CFAES competing for the top prize. Events included best uniforms, tug of war, backyard jenga, water balloon toss, etc. For their first appearance at the Ag Olympics in 28 years, the Turf Club came in 3rd place!

The Turf Club also sponsored the golf outing held at Homestead Springs Golf Course on April 23rd. During the event, over 28 sponsors and 24 teams participated at the outing. The total money raised at the outing was $4,500! The money raised will go toward the OSU Turf Club for expenses such as taking students to represent Ohio State in Turf Bowl competitions at GIS and STMA conferences in 2018. Thank you for those that came out for the golf outing. Continue reading

2017 Sportsturf Managers Association Conference

The Ohio State University Turf Club attended the 2017 Sportsturf Managers Association Conference at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. During the conference, the turf club brought two teams for the STMA student challenge. The student challenge is a competition for challenging the knowledge and skills in the sports turf industry from grass identification, irrigation, knowledge of STMA to math. Ohio State placed 6th and 13th out of 28 teams. Also at the conference, Amanda Folck received the Gary Vanden Burg Internship Grant for her internship at Arsenal Football Club in England. The STMA conference is a good opportunity for students to meet with the professionals in the sports turf industry in the states and abroad.

Amanda Folck receives CFAES Outstanding Student Employee

IMG_7015aOn April 7th, the College of Food, Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) hosted the 2016 Recognition Banquet. This banquet recognize students, faculty, staff and supporters in the college for their many accomplishments.

Amanda Folck (pictured left, with Dr. Karl Danneberger & Pam Sherratt) received the Outstanding Student Employee award from CFAES. Continue reading

Rolling Athletic Fields

We have received several questions recently about rolling athletic fields. What benefits, if any, does it provide? How often should a field be rolled? Does it cause compaction? Here are some thoughts on the practice of rolling and some tips on how to make the most of this operation.
Roller Types & Weight: 
There are many types of rollers – walk-behind, ride-on, Continue reading

OSU’s Weston Appelfeller & the Cup Final!

HWrz8b4-1After winning the Major League Soccer Eastern Conference Championship in New York, the Columbus Crew Soccer Club will be playing at home in the 2015 MLS Cup Championship at MAPFRE Stadium on Sunday December 6.  But before the Columbus Crew play against the Portland Timbers for the title, the soccer field has to be in the best shape for the finale of the 2015 MLS season. Continue reading