Yuba College team wins $100,000 in national manufacturing competition
In a competition that challenges the best in manufacturing technologies, Yuba College's manufacturing team placed first.
Wyatt Curry, Adam Davis and Phoenix Farrell make up the team of three who participated in three phases of the competition, with a focus on 3D printing.
Their teamwork put them in first place, taking home the $100,000 grand prize. Half of it will go to the school's manufacturing program, and the other half will be split among the three students.
"We just flew through the competition. We knew what we were doing. We worked really well together," Curry said.
The national Project MFG Clash of Trades competition was held back in June, but because it's being televised on YouTube, Yuba College wasn't allowed to announce its win until now.
"We're a community college. We're competing with technical colleges where that's all they do is machining," said Joe Bauer, professor of manufacturing technology at Yuba College.
Bauer has been taking his students to the Project MFG Clash of Trades competition for roughly seven years now, but this is the first win.
"Somewhere between 50 and 100 schools across the country will participate in this," he said. "I think we're the only team from California ever to win it."
We asked Curry what he plans to do with his share of the money.
"That's what everyone is asking and I don't think any of us really know," he said. "I think we all have it sitting in an account, scratching our heads, going 'I don't know what to do with it.' "
"It's funny. They tried to cash the check on their phones," Bauer said. "First of all, they had never seen a paper check, we had to talk about, like, I think we need to go to this place called a bank."
While the students are figuring out what to do with their winnings, the college staff are celebrating in their honor.
"I can't put into words how proud I am of the students. They couldn't even turn the machine on when they came to me a couple of short semesters ago, but it was their drive to be better," Bauer said.
The competition is airing on YouTube. Yuba College is hosting a final watch party at their theater at 6 p.m. on August 22.
"We were ecstatic. I mean, we had been working for a year for it up until this point, so it was amazing to finally reach that point," Curry said. "It was like all the practice paid off, and it was worth it."