WINNEMUCCA - Two talented local high school students have received widespread recognition for their special skills.
Rachel Jones, a sophomore at Lowry High School, recently won second place - the Silver Medal - at the Nevada Skills USA Championship for her welding work.
Jones, who has been welding for just one school year, has been under the tutelage of her Agriculture Mechanics teacher Andrew Meyer.
"I really liked working with metal because I never have before. I ended up loving it," she said.
For the contest, Jones was inspired by the country's symbolic icon, the bald eagle, and chose to create the majestic bird as her submission piece in the Welding Sculpture category.
"I like it because it represented the United States and symbolized the (armed forces) and I thought it symbolized what they have done for us because we wouldn't be free without them," she said.
The judges were also apparently inspired by her piece and awarded her the silver medal during the state competition held at the end of April at Reno's Circus Circus.
To create the sculpture, Jones cut each feather of the wings and tail individually out of metal then pieced them together and welded them in place. She used a diamond-tipped Dremel tool to add decorative texture to the bird, then heat-treated portions to give the entire piece a rainbow effect. Jones only used two-dimensional photos as inspiration for her three-dimensional art piece.
Another Lowry High School student, Quinn Norcutt, received recognition at the same event but in a different category, small engines. Instructor Meyer said Norcutt was tested on a broad scope of skills related to small engines, including repair, troubleshooting and rebuilding to name a few. Norcutt excelled and earned the gold medal in his event.
Because he placed first, he will go on to compete at the national Skills USA Championship June 23 - 28 in Kansas City, Mo.
Norcutt was recognized for his achievement during the May 22 Humboldt County School Board meeting.
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