Ridgewater welding students came home from Minnesota SkillsUSA, a competition that took place in March in Bloomington, with six gold medal welding champions who now qualify to compete at nationals.
Mike Orr of South Haven earned top honors for his detailed sculpture of a welder at work while Noah Egeberg, Howard Lake, placed first in individual welding. Clayton Johnson, Dassel, also took first in the younger category for Post Secondary Enrollment Options students.
Ridgewater took both first and second places in team welding fabrication, with gold going to Eric Harp, New London; Jake Barton, Little Falls; and Tim Przybilla, Pierz; and silver going to Keegan Rufer, Cokato; Hunter Karnik, Dassel; and Jake Trebesch, Hamburg.
More than 600 students competed in more than 60 hands-on technical and leadership categories in the event. Nationals are in Kentucky in June.
The second competition Ridgewater welding students participated in was at the Behind the Mask annual welding contest in St. Cloud.
Approximately 130 students from Minnesota colleges competed in January. Students and a few welding professionals had 20 minutes to fabricate a weldment with the blueprints provided. Ridgewater earned three first-place honors, two seconds and a third placement.
“Ridgewater welding won six of the 12 places that were awarded, which was an excellent showing,” said John Travis, Ridgewater welding instructor.
Egeberg earned first place in gas tungsten arc welding, beating out St. Cloud Technical Community College and Central Lakes College students.
Caleb Streich and Keegan Rufer, both from Cokato, earned first and second places, respectively, in shielded metal arc welding.
In oxy-fuel gas cutting, Harp and Egeberg placed first and third, respectively.
In the gas metal arc welding, Tim Przybilla earned second place.
Top three finishers in each category earned cash prizes and first-place finishers also received welding helmets. Money raised at this event helps support American Welding Society scholarships awarded to Minnesota high school and college students each year.
“Over the years it has been a great networking event both for students and Ridgewater College,” said Jeremy Hall, Ridgewater welding instructor. “I think the event helps students realize the potential they have for future success.”
Ridgewater College is a community and technical college with campuses in Hutchinson and Willmar. The college serves more than 5,000 students through its nearly 100 academic programs, and more than 68,000 training hours for individuals and businesses through customized training and continuing education.
For more information about Ridgewater College, visit www.ridgewater.edu, or call 320-234-8500.
