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WAGENER — Eli Smith, 15, has a keen interest in a particular career track, and took a major step in that direction last month through his ability to work with steel and high heat.

The Wagener-Salley High School sophomore, taking part in his first welding competition, bagged first place in a Feb. 25 event at Midlands Technical College’s West Columbia campus. He won a brand-new Lincoln Electric multi-process welder for his efforts among a group of about 50 competitors – the best student welders around the state, in Smith’s assessment.

He started studying the trade in August, under the guidance of teacher Richard Bailey, with instruction also coming from Smith’s maternal grandfather, Paul Jeffcoat, whose professional background includes welding.

“This is what I plan on doing here, when I graduate,” said Smith, whose parents are Wagener residents Chuck and Candi Smith.

Bailey said he has 23 students currently in the school’s welding program (all boys, in this year’s group), including students from Ridge Spring-Monetta High School. He confirmed Smith’s enthusiasm and dedication in preparing for the competition.

“The competition was at the end of February, and we talked about it ... about a month or so after school started, and I mentioned it to him, because I could see he took a shine to welding. He was pretty good at it, just from the start, and he liked to work hard.”

Bailey told Smith he could win the competition if he applied himself to the challenge at hand. “He would weld every chance he got at school. He’d go home and practice welding, and he got good enough ... and I said, ‘Well, let’s go up there and see what happens.’”

The test, Bailey said, was similar to what would arise in a job-application process. “It’s kind of like a real-world scenario, where ... they test you, to see if you’re qualified to do this job.”

Three judges assessed the quality of the work, and the competitors’ work was presented anonymously (with numbers, instead of names), to help ensure objectivity.

“He beat out some pretty good talent. There’s a lot of talent in this state, as far as welding goes,” said Bailey, noting that Smith’s schoolmates at the event included Chandler Sharpe, Chase Stone and Dylan Rawls.

Some of the motivation came from Eli’s brother, Gabe. “My brother took the class, and I figured, ‘Why not take it? Something to learn,’ and ... when I first started, I thought it was fun. I just kept going with it,” Smith said.

Key subjects relating to welding include measurements and fractions. “It’s about finding your heat and...it takes a lot of practice. You’ve got to have the right heat.”

Smith’s other campus pursuits, he said, include taking part in the FFA program and playing on the golf team.