L-W D210 Welding Contest Draws 88 Competitors, Doles Out $130K In Prizes, Awards & Scholarships

NEW LENOX, IL — Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210 Welding and SkillsUSA students hosted their largest event of the year last month at the Lincoln-Way Central welding lab. A total of 88 students competed across three divisions in this year’s welding contest.

The event awarded a record-breaking $130,000+ in prizes, awards, and scholarships to welding contestants and SkillsUSA members.

• $10,000 in financial scholarships, tools, and equipment was awarded to 29 students pursuing careers in the building trades, technical school, or college.
• The top five competitors in each of the three divisions received prizes valued at over $18,000.
• Universal Technical Institute awarded each contestant a $1,200 scholarship (totaling $105,600).
• The American Welding Society awarded an additional $1,000 scholarship.

Over the past six years, SkillsUSA and Lincoln-Way Welding have donated more than $201,000 to SkillsUSA members, student welders, and various charities through this annual district event. Past beneficiaries include the PFC Aaron Toppen Foundation, Illinois USO, American Heart Association, and the J & J Memorial Foundation.

This year’s contest welcomed the largest audience to date, with approximately 500 attendees, including guest speakers, industry partners, judges, parents, and administrators. It continues to be the Career and Technical Education Department’s most exciting event of the year.

Competition Results

1st-Year Students — Intermediate Division

1. George Ludolph – Central
2. John Wilkey – West
3. Donvan Porter – Central
4. Jose Ochoa – West
5. Jack Sroka – Central

2nd-Year Students — Advanced Division

1. Luke Heinen – West
2. Isaiah Faber – West
3. Logan Bohne – East
4. Chris Carrillo – East
5. Gavin Larson – West

3rd-Year Students — Pro Division

1. Nathan Marino – Central
2. Dillon Roche – East
3. Jake Tapella – Central
4. Kyle Sydor – West
5. Alex Popow – Central

SkillsUSA Raffle

Students sold raffle tickets for nine major prizes valued at over $7,000, including three HJM Warrior Electric All‑Terrain Bikes, three JBL PartyBox speakers, and three Yeti 35 coolers.

Welding Program Overview

Lincoln-Way currently enrolls approximately 275 welding students district-wide. Four welding instructors teach Welding Occupations 1, 2, and 3 full‑year courses:

Jason Visny, Heath Raley, Timothy McDavid, and Daymon Gast.

About SkillsUSA

SkillsUSA is a dynamic, career‑oriented leadership organization dedicated to preparing students for success at home, in the classroom, in the workplace, and in their communities. Its programs build personal, workplace, and technical skills grounded in academics, shaping responsible, highly skilled individuals who will become leaders in tomorrow’s workforce.