CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) — Five Parkland College students brought home a national title in April, winning first place in the associate’s degree division of a national land surveying competition held in Washington, D.C.

The competition, hosted by the National Society of Professional Surveyors and the Young Surveyors Network, drew students from 24 colleges across the country. Parkland’s team of Garrett Ott, Jack Caldwell, Allison Morgan, Evan McCarthy, and Zlatko Nikolov represented Illinois on the National Mall, competing in a series of field and calculation exercises in what organizers described as extreme heat.

Events included locating survey marks across the Mall, placing points with pre-calculated coordinates, measuring elevations, and using a 19th-century surveyor’s compass and Gunter’s chain to measure angles and distances around a four-sided figure. Students also participated in a city-wide scavenger hunt to locate boundary stones placed by the nation’s original surveyors in the 1790s.

For many on the team, using the same tools and methods as surveyors from centuries past was the most memorable part of the trip. Ott said handling the historic instruments was “very humbling and grounding,” shifting the focus from simply finding the right answer to participating in the same work that helped map the nation.

“Land surveying can be a solitary profession,” Morgan said. “This competition has made me see the value in comradery and support.”

Parkland Land Surveying Program Director Kory Allred said the reaction from professionals at the event spoke to the strength of Illinois surveying education.

“What was especially impactful was the number of professionals who immediately came to congratulate the students,” Allred said. “That shows the strength of our surveying community and the value placed on education.”

More information about Parkland’s land surveying program is available at parkland.edu/landsurveying.