The Ohio Hi-Point Career Center’s Outdoor Careers students placed first and won $1,500 at the recent Ohio High School Landscape Olympics.
OHLO, which tests students’ skills through hands-on, competitive events designed by industry professionals, is put on by the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association and takes place at The Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster.
Ohio Hi-Point students competed against more than 200 students from around the state. In addition to taking first place overall, there were also numerous team and event awards.
Gaige Sheeley (Bellefontaine) and Bradley Osborn (Kenton) placed third and sixth, respectively, in the overall individual scores.
Christian Au (Marysville) and Andrew VanHoose (Marysville) placed first and second, respectively, in Estimation, Gaige Sheeley placed second in Landscape Lighting, and Wyatt Long (Indian Lake) placed third in Skid Steer.
In team events, Gaige Sheeley and Bradley Osborn placed first in Landscaping Maintenance Operations; Maddy Allen (Triad), Alaina Robb (Bellefontaine), Andrew VanHoose, and Trenton Shelton-Harris (Bellefontaine) placed first in Turf Grass Management; Bradley Osborn and Andrew VanHoose placed second in Truck and Trailer; and Christian Au, Reese Collins (Indian Lake), and Trenton Shelton-Harris placed second in Knot Tying.
In addition to the competition, students attended a career exploration event with nearly 20 companies to meet with green industry leaders and learn more about careers available to them in the industry.
The Outdoor Careers students attend OHLO each year to help broaden the high school education experience and explore the many opportunities offered by a career in the green industry.