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Cuesta College welding team places 1st at competition 

Cuesta College’s 2015 Welding Thunder team members (left to right) Billy Pierce, Erin Anderson, Trevor Poindexter, Joey Grant, Virginia Nicolaisen and instructor Mike Fontes. Courtesy photo.

Cuesta College’s 2015 Welding Thunder team members (left to right) Billy Pierce, Erin Anderson, Trevor Poindexter, Joey Grant, Virginia Nicolaisen and instructor Mike Fontes.
Courtesy photo.

–Five Cuesta College welding students: Billy Pierce, Erin Anderson, Trevor Poindexter, Joey Grant, and Virginia Nicolaisen, took home first place recently at the 2015 Welders Without Borders: Welding Thunder, a portable welding competition designed to allow instructors and students to work together and showcase their skills in a fun and competitive manner. Four college teams from Arizona and California and four high school teams competed; Cuesta College was represented by one team consisting of three men and two women.

The event was held at Mohave Community College in Kingman, Ariz., Oct. 9-10, where the teams built and customized welding fabrications projects. Over the course of two days, the team built a fold-and-go barbecue table. On the first day of the competition, each team built to a required set of plans; the second day allowed for a secret compartment to be added and concluded with the team members cooking a meal on their projects.

Cuesta College’s 2015 Welding Thunder team’s fold-and-go table and meal prepared for the competition.

Cuesta College’s 2015 Welding Thunder team’s fold-and-go table and meal prepared for the competition.

“In true Central Coast style, we prepared beef kabobs, pulled pork sliders and rice,” said Mike Fontes, Cuesta College welding instructor. The team placed first in “Best Themed Team” and “Best Barbecue Lunch” and received the “People’s Choice Award.”

“Cuesta’s welding students continue to prove year after year to be the best of the best,” said Fontes. “Working side-by-side with my students is a great way for us to collaborate, learn from each other and help one another become even better welders, proving there are welders without borders on the Central Coast.”

Cuesta College competed in Welding Thunder last year and also took home first place in various categories. Welding Thunder began in Arizona in 2012.

 

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The news staff of the Paso Robles Daily News wrote or edited this story from local contributors and press releases. The news staff can be reached at info@pasoroblesdailynews.com.