Red Wolf Steel team to compete on show ‘Cast in Steel’
A team of students from Arkansas State University will compete for a $25,000 prize on a new television show “Cast in Steel.” The show will be aired starting on Thursday (July 9) on YouTube.
The show follows students as they design, cast, machine, finish, and test historically inspired George Washington sword replicas, turning the project into a visible manufacturing, engineering, and workforce-pipeline story. The Red Wolf Steel team will be featured in the first episode.
The Red Wolf Steel team is part of the university’s Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) team.
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.
At least 38 teams from colleges and universities will compete against each other creating the classic “George Wahsington” sword. The teams will be judged on how durable their sword is, how versatile it is, and how it performs.
Renowned judges from within in the sector will evaluate the teams and determine which ones move on in the competition.
The Red Wolf Steel team finished fourth in the Cast-in-Steel Competition, where they placed fourth last May. They took part in the competition held in Grand Rapids, Mich., 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.
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.