WMVO Good Times Great Oldies
Mount Vernon, OH- Knox County Career Center’s (KCCC) Landscape Design &
Management program won first place at the 7th Annual 2022 Ohio Nursery & Landscape
Association’s (ONLA) Ohio High School Landscape Olympics (OHLO) at the Ohio State
University Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster, Ohio.
ONLA’s Ohio High School Landscape Olympics 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 program competed in 15 events against nine
other schools, most of them being career tech schools. KCCC is the first school to win
back-to-back titles.
“The seniors set a goal to win the title again this year. All of our students put in a lot of
hard work for this event. I am really proud of them,” said John Campbell, KCCC’s Landscape
Design & Management instructor.
Campbell added, “I am proud of what they accomplished. The Ohio High School
Landscape Olympics is a great event put on by ONLA. It is set up and judged completely by
employers and supporters of the Landscape Industry.”
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, or just a few. 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 ONLA.
“I had a good experience. It was nice getting to talk with the sponsors, employers, and
the judges,” said A.J Fonner, senior in Landscape Design & Management.
James Hurlow, senior in Landscape Design & Management, added, “The event was
good work experience for a landscape type job. There were a variety of employers there
watching us compete. I enjoyed meeting new people and finding out what they do in their
program at their school.”
Award Winners
CLIMBING SKILLS
Mackenzie Ernsberger (Sr) & A.J Fonner (Sr) – 3rd Place
COMPACT EXCAVATOR
Colton Love (Sr) – 1st Place
HARDSCAPE INSTALLATION
A.J Fonner (Sr) & James Hurlow (Sr) – 2nd Place
IRRIGATION
A.J Fonner (Sr) & Terry Kovach (Sr) – 1st Place
LOW VOLTAGE LIGHTING
Isaac Burrell (Sr) – 2nd Place
MAINTENANCE OPERATION
Logan Dechant (Sr) & James Hurlow (Sr) – 1st Place
WOOD PLANT ID
John Manning (Jr) – 1st Place
SALES PRESENTATION
Josie Moore (Sr) – 2nd place
SKID STEER
Colton Love (Sr) – 2nd Place
TURFGRASS
James Hurlow (Sr) & Ashton Johnson (Sr) – 1st Place
PLANT INSTALLATION
A.J Fonner (Sr), James Hurlow (Sr), & Nick Jackson (Jr) – 3rd Place
