Wyatt McHenry has brought home a gold medal in arc welding after competing in the SkillsUSA state competition. 

The state champion is a senior at Flathead High School and a student in Hugh Naldrett’s Welding I class. 

McHenry has been in the class for 4 1/2 months and has practiced for about two hours a week to prepare for the competition, Naldrett said. 

McHenry was one of three Flathead students to compete in arc welding. There were about 40 competitors total.

At the competition, students were given a plan and told the type of metal they would be using to demonstrate their skills, according to Cassie Huntley, director of SkillsUSA Montana. 

Huntley said the competitors’ work was judged on the correctness and strength of welds, checking for any flaws. Students were given two hours to complete five different welds, Naldrett said.

“For him to win the competition with as little experience as he had was amazing,” Naldrett said.

SkillsUSA is a nonprofit whose aim is to improve the quality of America’s skilled workforce, particularly in the trades, through classroom training and state and national competitions, according to skillsusa.org.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at [email protected].