WITC welding students claim top spots at annual Welding Competition

2010 Stick Welding Competition Winners

Fifty-five area welding students put their skills to the test for the second annual International WITC Welding Competition held May 5 at Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College's Superior campus.

Students from WITC-Superior and WITC-New Richmond competed against representatives from Lake Superior College and Confederation College in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.

The students were judged on a wide range of proficiency tests, which included 75 individual welding tests in two areas: shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) and gas metal arc welding (GTAW). Independent judges representing local industry judged the student's welding expertise. Cash prizes were awarded to three winners in each category.

Student winners
Stick Welding Competition
1. John Greifzu, WITC-Superior; 2. Jed Bandle, WITC-Superior; 3. Scott O'Brien, WITC Superior

Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) Competition
1. Jeremy Gellert, Confederation College 2. Nick Kester, WITC-Superior; 3. Duke Archambeau, WITC-Superior

This event assisted all full time welding students to measure their learning achieved in one year from WITC. It helped build self-esteem, quality of workmanship, team-spirit and a lasting memory of success that we provide for our students through our college.

The event built relationships with our neighbors, and especially has helped melt the State border division that has existed between the two welding programs at WITC and Lake Superior College.