WMVO Good Times Great Oldies
Mount Vernon, OH – Knox County Career Center’s (KCCC) Landscape Design &
Management program won 2nd place at the 9th Annual 2024 Ohio Green Industry Association’s
(OGIA) Ohio High School Landscape Olympics (OHLO), which was held at Ohio State
University Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster.
KCCC’s Landscape Olympics is coming off a 3rd place finish in the OHLO in 2023 after
earning back-to-back 1st place finishes in 2021 and 2022. KCCC’s Landscape Design &
Management students won 9 events this year, which is tied for the record in the 9-year OHLO
event.
OGIA’s OHLO tests students’ skills through hands-on, competitive events designed by
industry professionals. OHLO broadens the high school education experience and introduces
students to the many opportunities offered by a career in the green industry.
KCCC’s Landscape Design & Management students competed in 20 events against 15
other schools. KCCC had two students who finished as OHLO Top Individuals. Kennedy Auker,
senior, finished in 4th place overall and Charley Beheler, junior, finished in 7th place overall.
OHLO is open to all Ohio high schools and career centers with horticulture programs.
Single teams from all participating schools may compete in all events. Competitive events test
the student’s abilities to interact in a hands-on environment. Events are planned, implemented,
and scored by industry sponsors using guidelines generated by OGIA.
“The Ohio High School Landscape Olympics was a wonderful event. We got to meet
employers and they helped us get ready for the competitions. I worked hard at placing first in my
Sales Presentation. Those were busy days leading up to the competition. I can’t thank Mr.
Campbell, Mrs. Allbaugh, and Mr. Bellman enough for helping me achieve that award. I’m also
proud of placing first in Surveying. I am proud of the way my senior year finished at the OHLO
and I will miss competing at this event,” said Kennedy Auker, senior, who finished in 4th place
overall at the OHLO.
Charley Beheler, junior, commented, “I am grateful for the opportunity to work with Bench
Mark and EMI for OHLO. It was a great experience. At the end of the day, I won an awesome
belt buckle from the Truck & Trailer competition as we finished in first place and I was excited
about finishing in 7th place overall. Thank you to all who helped me.”
AWARD WINNERS
CHAINSAW
Hudson Henry – 2nd Place
COMPACT EXCAVATOR
Charley Beheler – 5th Place
COST ESTIMATING
Ava Pullins – 1st Place
HARDSCAPE INSTALLATION
Mason Vallance & Layla Crase – 1st Place
HERBACEOUS PLANT ID
Lauren Perry – 9th Place
IRRIGATION
Mason Vallance & Layla Crase – 1st Place
LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Ava Pullins – 2nd Place
LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE
Charley Beheler & Jerako Salva – 1st Place
LIGHTING
Grady Row – 1st Place
MINI TRACK
Hudson Henry – 5th Place
PLANT INSTALLATION
Kennedy Auker, Grady Row, and Layla Crase – 4th Place
SALES PRESENTATION
Kennedy Auker – 1st Place
SOD INSTALLATION
Hunter Looney & Skylar Lawrence – 6th Place
SURVEYING
Dalton Lang & Kennedy Auker – 1st Place
TREE CLIMBING
Charley Beheler & Logan Marsell – 2nd Place
TOOL ID
Mason Vallance & Jerako Salva – 3rd Place
TRUCK & TRAILER
Charley Beheler & Hudson Henry – 1st Place
TURFGRASS
Lauren Perry & Dalton Lang – 1st Place
WOODY PLANT ID
Emma Fonner – 6th Place
