College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Department of Horticulture

Every year, the MSU Student Horticulture Association participates in the National Collegiate Landscape Competition (NCLC) organized by the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP). This event was formerly called the PLANET SCD.

2026's event will be held here at Michigan State University from March 18th to March 21nd.

In 2025 at Colorado State University, our team placed 4th nationally out of the 54 participating colleges.  To see a quick recap of the event, check out this video from the NALP.

Congratulations to all of our members who competed in 2025 NCLC and placed in the top 15! 

• 3D Exterior Landscape Design - Sydney Bess (11th)
• Annual/Perennial ID - Celia Wilson (4th)
• Business Management – Kelley Chase (tied for 3rd)
• Employee Development – Kelley Chase, Grace Whipple (10th)
• Hardscape Installation – Tyler Bigos, Nate Hawks (6th)
• Interior Plant ID – Lanna Lowrie (2nd), Megan Kieda (11th)
• Irrigation Assembly – Larisa Draaisma, Lydia Gasper (3rd)
• Irrigation Design – Larisa Draaisma (3rd)
• Irrigation Troubleshooting – Larisa Draaisma, Lydia Gasper (9th)
• Landscape Lighting – Cailyn Kerner (10th)
• Landscape Maintenance Operations – Nate Hawks, Ben Mellema (4th)
• Landscape Plant Installation – Ana Hearn, Nate Hawks, Ben Mellema (tied for 5th)
• Maintenance Cost Estimating – Cailyn Kerner (5th), Katie Fulkerson (6th)
• Mini Track Loader Operation – Gage Barnadyn (4th)
• Plant Problem Diagnosis – Joe Reamsnyder (1st), Chloe Snyder (tied for 4th)
• Robotics & Technology in the Landscape – Cailyn Kerner (14th)
• Safety First - Chloe Snyder, Katie Fulkerson (1st)
• Sales Presentation – Grace Whipple (14th)
• Turf & Weed ID – Joe Reamsnyder (tied for 2nd), Ben Kuntzsch (4th)
• Woody Ornamental ID – Aidan Riley (6th)

Seven MSU students received NALP Scholarships at NCLC in 2025: Sydney Bess, Tyler Bigos, Kelley Chase, Larisa Draaisma, Nate Hawks, Aidan Riley, and Emily Schneider. 

Congratulations to the 2025 NCLC team! Go green!

Our MSU Coach

Marcus Duck became the coach for MSU’s NCLC Team in fall 2003, and has attended every event since (except for 2009 when his twins were born).  He is passionate about this event, and the positive (and sometimes life-changing) impact it can have on a student's future.  Marcus knows this firsthand; he competed in 1995 at Cal-Poly SLO and in 1996 at Richland College (TX) while he was an undergrad at Auburn University.