University of Toledo The University of Toledo secured first place at the 2025 ASCE UESI Surveying Competition finals, shooting to the top of the ranks after landing in the middle of the pack last year.
What brought the team to the top wasn’t just technical skill, but a focus on growth. With only one returning member, team captain Caleb Kaiser, the group was full of fresh perspectives that helped them flourish.
“It was cool to see because they were learning at the same time they were doing,” said Kaiser, who emphasized the team’s drive to embrace the challenge.
The ASCE UESI Surveying Competition is an annual event that celebrates the important role of basic surveying principles in all civil engineering projects. Nineteen student teams competed this year.
During the competition, student teams performed four field tasks and delivered a topographic and presentation to address surveying challenges in the industry. These two categories were scored separately.
Purdue University Northwest earned second place overall, and the Colorado School of Mines came in third.
This year’s edition of the event asked teams to develop an empty parcel of land in Fairborn, Ohio, with the maximum number of plots in a cost-effective way. Designs were bound by area zoning codes and several required infrastructure features.
“We also decided to include a road to future development on the south side of the parcel, which I think put us over the top of many other teams,” said Kaiser. “With that addition, we had a buffer lot on the edge, which allows no one to cross over, creating a roadway for their adjacent property.”
This effort earned the team first place in the topographic and presentation category. They claimed second place for field tasks.
The win against “very tough competition” was incredibly rewarding, but what made it even more meaningful was the learning opportunity the competition represented.
Kaiser’s team began their process by analyzing last year’s submission, going over what worked and what could be changed.
“I actually made a list after last year of things to improve upon,” he said. The team also developed questions based on last year’s submission.
“If I had to look back, I’d say one of our mottos on the journey to create that map and win was just to grow and achieve,” said Kaiser.
As the head of the team, he also learned how to be a leader and guide the team through new concepts and deadlines while strengthening their bonds.
“It wasn't just about the winning, it was about being on that journey and experiencing the times we had with one another,” said Kaiser.
