Sigma Alpha Epsilon - Kansas State University

K U fans love to taunt Wildcat Nation by claiming that K-State has never won a national championship. But K-State is a powerhouse in Crops Judging, and Kansas Beta brother Landon Trout '25 just led the team to another national title. Trout, a junior in agronomy from Scott City, Kansas, won the individual championship at the collegiate Crops Judging competition in Idaho in April. That was after he finished second in the Fall, 2023 competition in Chicago. The K-State team won the national title in both Chicago and Idaho, extending a long tradition of dominance. The Chicago victory was the 18th in the last 25 years. Team Advisor Dr. Kevin Donnelly said, "This was the best team I have ever worked with." He has coached crops judging for nearly three decades. For the fall competitions each team has three members, and each competitor gets 4.5 hours to complete the following: identify 200 plant or seed samples of crops and weeds; grade eight samples of grain according to federal standards; and analyze 10 seed samples to pick out extraneous material. The spring competition is very different, with more of an emphasis on problem solving and critical thinking. Like any elite sport, crops judging requires a lot of practice. Trout said he spends about 15 hours a week practicing, including two nights a week of formal practice during the competition season and many hours on his own identifying and grading samples. "Attention to detail (and a good memory) is the key to being a great crops judger," Trout said, Trout's father farms in western Kansas and Trout joined Future Farmers of America in high school, which introduced him to judging. With his agricultural background, Trout was rushed by the FarmHouse and AGR fraternities but wanted to do something different. His sister lived in an apartment across the street from the ΣAE house and liked the guys. She urged him to take a tour of the house, and he pledged. Despite his large commitment to crops judging, Trout has been active in Kansas Beta, serving as house manager last year and risk manager this year. Trout also has a part-time job on campus, analyzing wheat samples for genes resistant to rust. "It is a juggling act," Trout said of time management. As house manager last year, "it was hard getting back to check house duties (by members) every day at 5 p.m.," Trout said. This summer he will intern for a crop consultant in North Dakota, helping farmers make decisions on how much fertilizer to apply, seeds to plant, and other management decisions. After completing his B.S., Trout plans to go to graduate school. Even with all his commitments, Trout said he still finds time for a social life. Not surprisingly, his girlfriend, Ashley Chandler, is a member of the Crops Judging team. She finished third in the nation at the recent competition in Idaho. WARREN ELECTED TO INTERFRATERNITY COUNCIL M itch Warren '26, a sophomore from Olathe studying electrical engineering, is the first ΣAE elected to the IFC since 2020, when Ryan Montgomery '20 served as vice president. Before that, Jeremy Campbell '19 served as president in 2018. IFC represents the 22 fraternities on campus, and Warren will serve as the vice president, responsible for philanthropy, community service, and council programming. He served as vice president of the Kansas Beta Chapter last year. 2 The K-State Fall Crops Judging team holds the National Championship trophy. From left: Quinten Bina, Ranae Sinclair, and Landon Trout '25. The victorious K-State Crops Judging team in their purple and white overalls. From left: Joel Bryan (alternate), Molly Kane (alternate), Landon Trout '25, Renae Sinclair, and Quinten Bina. BROTHER LANDON TROUT '25 CARRIES ON K-STATE CROP JUDGING DYNASTY By Greg McCune '76, Alumni Relations Coordinator

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