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03/30/2006: "CHS industrial technology team cops state title in first try"
Beginners luck?
Hardly.
When a quartet of Crofton High School technology education students were the first from CHS to participate in a Skills USA Conference competition last week, and brought home first place, there was no luck involved.
The boys were prepared.
“We didn’t really know what we were getting into,” said CHS technology education instructor Wil Sanger, “but once they got going with their project, they were very well prepared.”
The foursome of senior Taylor Schumacher, and juniors Danny Kohles, Brett Kleinschmit and Ben Mueller, combined to win the Teamworks category of competition at the Columbus event, held March 23-25. By winning the Columbus event, the quartet will be Nebraska’s representative at the national contest, to be held June 26-30 in Kansas City, and their instructor Sanger feels his students have a good chance to be competitive there.
There were nine schools, eight high school and one college, from across the state entered in the competition, and Crofton was one of only three that actually finished their project.
The competition involved a set of floor plans for a building that the team was given. They were to build the structure by using the plans. However, what the teams didn’t know, but would figure out either as they went about figuring the project or by making mistakes, that there were some miscalculations in the plans.
“Ben Mueller premeasured everything the night before,” Sanger explained. It was then that he realized the roof measurements were incorrect. The next day, the CHS team built the entire roof in one session, lifted it up and placed it on the top of their structure, “And it fit like a dream,” Sanger said. “Everyone at the competition was pretty impressed because we were the only ones who did the roof that way.”
The finished project was judged by trademens, including carpenters, plumbers and electricians.
The judges said that the detail and craftsmanship of our project was the main thing that set us apart from the others,” Sanger noted. “They also said our teamwork and character really impressed them. The guys really worked well together and focused on their tasks.”
“The thing that made us feel the best was that one judge said we were ‘a step ahead of everyone else in all phases of the competition,’” said Sanger.
“The philosophy of the Skills USA organization is the same as mine in that these types of classes show the kids what careers are available to them in the building and trades industry,” Sanger stated. He credited the fact that his construction students have had hands-on experience by building the house they’ve been working on this year in the West Addition.
He also credited the help of area professionals, such as electrician Randy Goeden and plumber Kevin Zavadil, as well as Leroy Walter at West-Hodson Lumber & Concrete, for providing personal teaching to his students in their areas of expertise. Plus West-Hodson has provided all kinds of tools and equipment for the student-built house. Sanger also had kudos for Joe Merchant, who at the last second, let Sanger and his students use an enclosed trailer to haul their equipment down to the contest.
With the entry fee in the state competition being $55 per student, Sanger was grateful to Goeden, Zavadil and West-Hodson who sponsored the boys for the contest.
“Now we’ve got some fundraising to do,” he added, noting that the entry fee for the national contest is $100 per students plus travel, meals and motel. Plus, the team could use some more practice projects, so if anyone has need of a shed or small building to be built, contact Sanger.
Sanger said Crofton’s participation and membership in the Skills USA group will also be helpful when the school applies for grants in the future.
