Presidents' Trophy contest

CANVAS attendance is required to enter the President's Trophy contest

Do you think your club qualifies as the best SASES chapter? This competition will be judged by a team of ASA, CSSA, and SSSA Society Incoming Presidents. Chapter activities will be evaluated and scored according to the criteria below.

• Contest registration: May 1 to Oct. 1, 2026

2026 contest guidelines​​

Purpose

Show off how successful your club was over the past year! Share some ideas with other clubs and get recognized for your efforts.

Awards & recognition

The winner of the Presidents’ Trophy contest will receive a trophy and will have possession of the traveling plaque until the next year’s competition.

Eligibility

• Contest registration: May 1 to Oct. 1, 2026
• Any SASES club with students that hold current memberships in ASA, CSSA, and/or SSSA is eligible to participate. SASES club advisors may register on behalf of their students, provided student emails are used in registration.
• Only one presentation per club is allowed.

Requirements

• Presentations may be given by one or two members of the club. The presenter does not need to be the president of the club. Presentations must be five minutes or less.
• A data projector and computer will be provided for presentations. PowerPoint is the recommended format, but other programs may be used if converted to a .pptx or .ppt file, if needed.
• Please submit your PowerPoint presentation slides at least one week before the contest date by sending an email to the contest chair.
• If you are unable to submit your slides ahead of time via email, please check with the Society contact for alternate options at least 3 weeks prior to the contest.
• You must register prior to Oct. 1, 2026 to participate. 

Judging

Curious as to how your club will be scored? View the scorecard.

• Club Overview (40 pts): Share the club’s promotion of professional opportunities in agronomy, crops, soils, and/or environmental science, any community service activities the club organizes or participates in, the club’s program events from the past year, and fundraising efforts.
• Innovations (40 pts): Every club faces challenges. Share a unique challenge your club has faced within the past year, and how the club has worked to overcome the challenge. Discuss how the club used problem solving skills to identify the challenge, how teamwork and collaboration was used to execute a solution and how the results will make a lasting impact on the club.
• Presentation (10 pts): The chapter representative should use appropriate voice, mannerisms, presentation structure and language. The presentation uses a creative approach to enhance overall effectiveness.
• Time: There will be a 1-point deduction from each president’s score for every 30 seconds over 5 minutes.

Contacts

• Contest Chair: Edson Costa Filho, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology | Send Message
• ASA, CSSA, and SSSA Contact: Student Programs | Send Message

2025 winner

• 1st Place: Connor Eversole of Illinois State University

2024 winner

• 1st Place: Steven Mai of Auburn University

2023 winner

• 1st Place: Julian Torres of California State University, Fresno