Mainstreet Daily News
Nine Clay Electric lineworkers took home six trophies over the weekend at the annual Florida Lineman Competition in Fort Pierce.
According to a Clay Electric press release, the team of David Poncher, Lee Lambert and Joel Baker won first place in the Crossarm Change Out event and took third overall in the Journeyman Team Competition.
Apprentice lineworkers Craig Smith and Gaige Griffins placed second and fourth overall, respectively, with Smith also earning second in the Hurtman Rescue and third in the Running Angle Poly Bell Change Out events.
The statewide event drew 20 journeyman linemen teams (totaling 65 journeyman competitors), 72 apprentices and 43 judges from the 11 utilities that participated.
The competition allows electrical lineman to demonstrate their skill and knowledge in linework in various events that include replacing crossarms and insulators on utility poles, changing out transformers and completing a simulation of rescuing injured lineworkers. Competitors earn points for completing the tasks as quickly as possible and lost points if safety standards and proper work practices were not followed. Journeyman teams, which include at least one lineworker who has been in the industry for five years or more, are made up of three lineworkers. Apprentices compete individually.
Clay Electric Cooperative, Inc., is based out of Keystone Heights and its service area covers 14 North Florida counties (Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Flagler, Gilchrist, Lake, Levy, Marion, Putnam, Suwannee, Union and Volusia).