Jonesboro, AR – Contributed – A group of Arkansas State University students showcased their talents outside the classroom by participating in the Cast-in-Steel Competition, where they placed fourth.

The group, appropriately named “Red Wolf Steel,” is part of the university’s Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) team. They recently took part in the competition held in Grand Rapids, MI, competing against teams from 64 schools across the country.

Red Wolf Steel was led by Caden Grimmett, a junior mechanical engineering major from Wilson. Team members included Michael (Ethan) Altenbaumer, a junior mechanical engineering major from Gassville; Andrew (Bo) Grace, a senior engineering technology major from Jonesboro; Sam Morris, a senior mechanical engineering major from Jonesboro; and Channing Woodson, a senior engineering technology major from McGehee.

Grace and Woodson are also part of the Career Readiness Education & Skills Training (CREST) initiative at A-State. 

Teams competed to design and produce a Horseman’s axe using casting techniques. Helping Red Wolf Steel achieve its strong finish was its industry partner, Southern Cast Products of Jonesboro. The company worked alongside the students throughout the process leading up to the competition to help ensure they were prepared.

“This year we had a lot more time to prepare, and had some insights from the previous year. It definitely came together better and we learned how to bring it together even more next year,” said Grace.

After winning their initial group round, which consisted of teams such as Ohio State University, Arizona State, and defending champions Pittsburgh State, the Red Wolves advanced to the finals, where they secured an impressive fourth-place finish overall.

“This is a massive achievement for the program, particularly as it marked the team’s first time ever competing in person. Congratulations to these five students for representing A-State with such excellence on the national stage,” said Dr. Rajesh Sharma, director of engineering technology in the College of Engineering and Computer Science.  

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To qualify for the competition, teams had to design, build and test their Horseman’s axe. The axe could not be longer than 31.5 inches and had a weight limit of 3.3 pounds. They also had to submit a video introducing the Red Wolf Steel team and showcasing their project.

Grace, a member of Red Wolf Steel and CREST who is pursuing a technical studies emphasis within his engineering technology major, said it was a great opportunity to improve his skills.

“This gives me a chance to hone my skills making a technical report, but I’m also extremely into 3D modeling and fabrication, so this had some room to shine in that department as well,” he said. 

The team put classroom skills into practice while emphasizing the university’s focus on training the next generation of engineering and steel industry professionals. Providing students with hands-on opportunities in college helps prepare them for job interviews and future careers.

“It’s incredible to me that the industry partners are so connected despite being so regionally separated,” Grace added. 

The topic for next year’s competition will be shared in June. With nearly a year to prepare, Grace plans to spend the summer helping the team get a head start on next year’s Cast-in-Steel Competition before returning to campus in the fall. 

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