Winners of a welding contest hosted by Pennsylvania College of Technology for high-school and college students were announced recently at an awards banquet.
The contest was conducted in February by the Central Pennsylvania Section of the American Welding Society.
Three high schools − Columbia-Montour Area Vocational Technical School in Bloomsburg, SUN Area Career and Technology Center in New Berlin and Williamsport Area High School − participated in the secondary-school contest. All post-secondary competitors were Penn College welding students.
Two independent judges, Niles Orheli of High Steel Structures and Richard Sunderland of George Logue Inc., evaluated the entries.
Winners in the high-school competition were: Jeremiah Boyer, Columbia-Montour, first place; Andrew Hestor, SUN Area, second place; Justin Aten, Columbia-Montour, third place; Matthew Dye, SUN Area, fourth place; Cain Showalter, SUN Area, fifth place; and Brad Wallize, Columbia-Montour, sixth place.
In the postsecondary contest, awards were given to: Anthony L. Joy, Corry, first place; Lynn A. Goss, Milroy, second place; Justin M. Clouser, Indiana, third place; Justin D. Grimminger, Altoona RR 3, fourth place; Mark J. Claypoole, Duncansville, fifth place; and Kyle J. Bennett, Towanda RR 6, sixth place.
All of the winners received a plaque. First-place winners in both categories were also awarded a welder donated by Lincoln Electric, while second-place winners were awarded $50 cash from the American Welding Society.
James W. Fox, assistant professor of welding, who has helped to organize the competition since 1978, said about 65 high-school and college students participated in the event, held in Penn College's Avco-Lycoming Metal Trades Center.
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