Jackson EMC Linemen Named Among the Best at International Event
(JEFFERSON, GA. Oct. 14, 2018) – A journeyman linemen team from Jackson EMC was named the top electric cooperative team at the 35th Annual International Lineman’s Rodeo in Bonner Springs, Kansas on Saturday. The event features some of the top linemen from around the world to compete in traditional linemen skills and tasks.
Jackson EMC sent two journeyman teams, each with three competitors, to the rodeo. Both teams won some of the highest awards at the international event.
The journeyman team with Justin Cash, Austin Gragg and Clay Phillips, all of Jefferson, won first place overall in the electric cooperative division at the rodeo. The team also placed second as the top overall team at the International Lineman’s Rodeo with a total time of 22:03.89. In addition, they won second place in an event to replace polymer insulators and seventh place in an event to change switches on a pole.
Kevin Grant, Matt Tolar and Scotty Tompkins, all of Oakwood, won third place as the top overall journeyman team with a total time of 22:17.83. They also won second place overall in the electric cooperative division, eighth place in the polymer insulator replacement event and eighth place in the switch changeout event.
“The rodeo is a great opportunity for our linemen to show their skills and knowledge of safety in this profession,” said Tommy Parker, Jackson EMC’s director of operation services. “We’re proud to support these linemen who participate in the rodeo and their fantastic results against so many other top competitors.”
This year’s International Lineman’s Rodeo, held Oct. 11-13, featured more than 300 apprentices and more than 200 journeyman teams competing in a series of events to test their skills. Apprentices compete as individuals, while journeyman teams include three team members.
Both apprentices and journeyman teams compete in hurt man rescue and pole climb events. In addition, there are two mystery events that are revealed to participants the day before competition. Apprentices also complete a written test that’s part of their overall score.
One of Jackson EMC’s apprentices, Dillon Welborn of Jefferson, placed ninth in the hurt man rescue event with a time of 1:02.13. The hurt man rescue simulates the rescue of an injured worker stranded at the top of a utility pole.
Photos by Jackson EMC from the event are available at: https://jacksonemc.canto.com/v/public/landing
Complete results from the International Lineman’s Rodeo may be viewed at: https://www.linemansrodeokc.com/results-final/
Jackson Electric Membership Corporation, the largest electric cooperative in Georgia and one of the largest in the nation, is headquartered 50 miles northeast of Atlanta in Jefferson, Ga. The cooperative serves more than 229,000 meters on 14,000 miles of energized wire. For more information, visit jacksonemc.com.