WP welders move on to state FFA competition

Ten Wauneta-Palisade welders took part in the FFA district welding competition at McCook March 22. Garrett Hanna, Derik Kennicutt, Anthony Sramek and Trace Bley combined to give WP a second place finish behind Elwood.
Those four were joined at districts by Grant Walker, Wyatt McDaniel, Hunter Miner, Colby Hoskovec, Sean Manley and Trey McCrumb. All 10 took part in the competition that featured practical and written portions.
Two to three students tested at each type of welding.
They test their knowledge with actual welding based on a blueprint. They had an exam where they answered questions about knowledge of the welding and techniques, WP Welding advisor Danny Schluckebier said, adding those two separate scores are put together to find out who scored the best.
A school’s top finishers in each welding type make up the district team score and qualify for the team competition at the State FFA Convention.
Hanna was first individual in OAW (oxy/acetylene).Kennicutt finished second in SMAW (Arc/stick). Sramek was third in GMAW (Mig/wire). Bley just missed placing individually in GTAW (TIG/aluminum).
“The day went well, everyone was excited and ready to show the other schools that our welding shop kids have talent,” he said.
It was really good to get some of the younger welders into a district competition, Schluckebier added.
“It’s always a struggle to go somewhere else and use someone else’s welder that you’re not familiar with at all, and try to do a great weld that will qualify your team for state,” Schluckebier said.
The four qualifiers completed their state competition Tuesday at WP.
Because of the short turn around, Schluckebier said he started preparing the school’s shop as soon as he found out WP had qualified.
The school received the blue prints and instructions via email as to what to weld and how each welder should come in throughout the day to completed their welding.
“We boxed all of them up and sent them to Lincoln to be judged,” Schluckebier said.
Hanna, Kennicutt, Sramek and Bley were scheduled to take the written portion March 30. That part will be done on Zoom.
Schluckebier said it was a little weird to travel to McCook to weld for districts, then have to do state welding in WP’s welding shop and classroom.
He said the districts went well thanks, in part, to a recent grant that allowed WP to upgrade its welding equipment.
“New welders and updated equipment have helped greatly in becoming more familiar with newer equipment and techniques. I think the welders at WP are smart and work hard to achieve what they set out to accomplish,” Schluckebier said.
“There’s nothing wrong with working with your hands, and it takes a lot more brain power to make good welds than some people may realize,” he added.