Trojan Manufacturing celebrates big year
STURGIS — The Trojan Manufacturing program had a very successful year.
Jef Wanamaker's group piled up numerous awards this year at the Michigan Industrial & Technology Education Society event. It included the grand champion for the entire state in graduated senior Zachary Pueschel.
"It's pretty cool, I'd say," Pueschel said of winning grand champion at MITES. "I worked hard on it, so it's nice to see it get recognized."
Pueschel built a vice as his submission for the MITES program this year. In earning grand champion for the state, he won out of nearly 100 submissions from high schoolers across the state in the manufacturing class level. It starts with a regional level, where plenty of submissions earn awards. Then the state conference is held, where submissions earn even more honors. Pueschel's was picked as the best submission.
"Oh, it's huge for us and for Zachary," Wanamaker said. "We compete against some pretty big schools, especially over by Detroit. I'm so proud of our students, we had a really good group."
Also earning a prestigious award was Asher Foster. He was selected as the Divisional A champion for his submission.
"I spent about a month or two on the project, it was definitely worth it for me," Foster said.
Foster joined the manufacturing program at Sturgis for a handful of reasons, including credit coverage and his dad's interest in machining which he saw growing up. The MITES program is one Sturgis has attending during Wanamaker's six years of running Trojan Manufacturing.
It's a great testament to him, the students and staff at Sturgis High School plus the materials donated from local businesses to allow those students to create projects.
Wanamaker is the teacher of three classes throughout the day, including a pair of CTE classes which have 20 students each throughout the day. There were 60 students in the program this year in those classes combined.
Wanamaker said there are probably 20 graduates who are working professionally in the trades business who were graduates of his class.
"I think that's the best part, seeing those kids go off and work," he said. "It's nice to watch them grow and learn."
Pueschel and Wanamaker sat down at the beginning of the year to discuss what he wanted to work on as a senior project. Pueschel said he wanted to win grand champion at MITES, so they got to work hand drawing all the prints before they reverse-engineered the entire project. Wanamaker said some students have multiple projects created throughout the year, but Pueschel dedicated his entire year to one.
"I worked on it pretty much all class, every day," Pueschel said. "Coming up with the measurements, hole placements, making sure everything was lined up. It took a lot of work."
Earning first-place finishes at state were Pueschel and Foster (two), Michael Miller, Thomas Perry, Rodrigo Urbina (two), Brenden Myers, Alfonso Aviila Cruz (two) and Aaron Castro. Second-place finishers included Darren Cruea, Lukas Yunker, Corbin McDonald, Miller, Jeronimo Huerta Garcia, Urbina and Max Nieves Montoya.
Third place down to honorable mention winners were Easton Foster, Castro, Edward Miller, Lukas Miller, Gavin Lewis, Nieves Montoya, Myers, Aviila Cruz, Gael Lopez Reyes, Lydia Boland, Jaden Moore, Jace Kauffman, Jabulani Ndlova, Morgan Glasscoe, Kaicee Kyle, Urbina, Yunker (two) and Adam Picking.
Contact Sports Editor Brandon Watson at bwatson@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @BwatsonSJ.
This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Trojan Manufacturing celebrates big year
