Seniors Lane Pfannenstiel, Alanna Hansen, Tanner Hunsicker and sophomore Matt Fross traveled to Beloit on March 3 for the North Central Kansas Tech welding competition. The event sent them home with a second-place win out of 29 teams, and for some, even prizes.

A fourth-place win was awarded to Pfannenstiel and for Fross, a fifth.

“I felt good about the results,” Pfannenstiel said. “I could have done a little better.”

He took home a Makita grinder and grinding wheels, while Fross took home a Dewalt angle grinder.

“I was happy with the results especially since it was my first time going,” Fross said. “I think that the best part of it was taking second as a team because that is the best our school has ever done.”

However, Pfannenstiel isn’t looking for much more.

“I have always been good at welding and enjoyed it but am not interested in making it a career,” Pfannenstiel said.

While Fross doesn’t know how it will affect his future, but knows it did help.

“I do want to go into welding so it kind of helped me learn how to read welding drawings and put the pieces together correctly,” Fross said.

Welding instructor Nathan Howard feels good about the win and says the group set the bar high.

“My first year doing it we got second,” Howard said. “I only have one more spot to go up.”

19ibraun@usd489.com