INA, Ill. (May 15, 2026) — High school students from Christopher, Mt. Vernon, Benton, Webber, and Hamilton County put their welding skills on display last month at Rend Lake College's 2026 Welding Contest.
Students competed to win prizes donated by local vendors and community members including ILMO Products Company and Big R Farm and Home.
Taking the top prize as the 2026 champion in the senior division was Gunnar Battaglia from Christopher High School. The runner-up spot went to Hamilton County's Larsen Hunt. Rounding out the top four placements were Landon Sveda (Christopher) in third place and Jeremiah Barker (Mt. Vernon) in fourth place.
Other top 10 finishers include: 5th place — Clayton Vaupel (Hamilton County), 6th place — Chevy Watkins (Christopher), 7th place — Landon Butler (Christopher), 8th place — Logan Kinder (Hamilton County), 9th place — Gauge Schlake (Christopher) and 10th place — Logan Wright (Christopher).
In the junior division, Wyatt Tindall of Christopher took first place, followed by fellow Bearcats Tripp Fletcher in second and Noah Wilson in third.
Interested in the RLC welding program? Visit rlc.edu/welding-technology to learn more!
