USU Blanding Hosts High School Welding Competition with Life-Changing Prizes

Utah State University Blanding recently hosted a regional high school welding competition, welcoming middle school and high school students from across the Four Corners region to showcase their technical and professional skills in welding.

The annual competition, now in its third year, brought together students from Albert R. Lyman Middle School, Monticello High School, San Juan High School, Whitehorse High School, Monument Valley High School, and Navajo Mountain High School. Participants competed in two events: a welding sculpture competition and a live welding skills competition designed to test both hands-on expertise and workforce readiness.

“They're competing under pressure, which is exactly what they’re going to experience in a real-world situation,” said Adam Simpson, USU Blanding welding instructor.

In the welding sculpture competition, students created original welded art pieces ahead of time and submitted professional portfolios documenting their design process, materials, and techniques. Competitors then presented their work and participated in interviews judged on technical quality, craftsmanship, documentation, and communication skills.

The live welding competition challenged students to complete timed welding tasks across multiple processes, including: shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), often called stick welding; flux-cored arc welding (FCAW); and gas metal arc welding (GMAW), as well as a written knowledge assessment. Finished welds were evaluated for quality, accuracy, and adherence to industry standards.

“This is the same stuff we work on in class,” said Craig Swenson, welding and automotive instructor and SkillsUSA advisor at San Juan High School. “Seeing the students’ excitement to compete was the best part of the day.”

Live Welding Competition Results:

1^st - Logan Williams, San Juan High School

2^nd - Ayanibaa Singer, Monument Valley High School

3^rd - Trai Bass, San Juan High School

 

Welding Sculpture Competition Results:

1^st - Spencer Adams, San Juan High School

2^nd - Stockton Martin, Albert R. Lyman Middle School

3^rd - Austin Nielsen, Albert R. Lyman Middle School

 

“I was nervous at first, but I decided to keep going no matter how hard the competition got,” Logan Williams said.

This year’s competition was made possible through significant support from industry and community sponsors. Everlast Power Equipment and Hyundai Welding donated a total of three multi-process welders, while additional prizes were contributed by EDGE Welding Supply, Four Corners Welding, Lincoln Electric, Redd’s ACE Hardware, Blanding NAPA Auto Parts, San Juan Building Supply, and CB’s C-Store in Blanding.

“These sponsors are truly helping change students’ lives by giving them access to resources they might not otherwise have,” said Chloe Wilson, USU Blanding welding instructor. “Many of these students come from low-income households and rural communities. Winning equipment like this can help them start a career or even their own welding business.”

A key component of the event was the involvement of current USU Blanding welding students, who helped host, proctor, and judge the competition. Faculty say this experience builds leadership, communication, and evaluation skills that prepare students for the workforce.

“Our students are so used to having their welds evaluated,” Wilson said. “Putting them on the other side helps them understand what employers are actually looking for. If they’ve seen both sides of that process, they’re better prepared to succeed.”

For more information about the USU Blanding welding program, visit https://statewide.usu.edu/blanding/.