Most people, as they think about all the characteristics of a state champion, don’t think of cold steel and flames. They don’t imagine the sight of sparks and the roar of a torch, but three East High seniors Zakk Keller, Dax Cathcart, and Oakley Cathcart just changed all that. The group traveled to Gillette College to compete in the state SkillsUSA welding and fabrication competition on March 26-27 and brought home the district’s first welding championship.

On the first day of competition, the team took a written exam to test their knowledge and that was then followed by a team exam. The next day the team was given eight hours, the plans and the materials to finish a barbecue and smoker and meet the judges’ requirements as soon as they were finished. The team actually finished 90 minutes early.

“They sent us out plans about a week in advance,” said Oakley.

The three didn’t have an idea on what they were going to be designing in the early stages of preparation for the competition, but once they got their hands on the plans, they practiced and figured out all the problems. In order to win, they needed to make sure they knew their project inside and out in about a week.

The team is now qualified for the national competition in Louisville, KY, in June. The project they designed, a charcoal run barbecue and smoker, that will be donated to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, which sponsored the event.