Gregory overcomes challengers to win D-3 equipment roadeo
Despite the best efforts to keep him off the podium, Marsing maintenance foreman Jeramie Gregory was not to be denied, winning the District 3 Truck & Equipment Roadeo May 14 in Garden Valley. Gregory survived a miscue in the scoring formula, discovered after the fact, that vaulted him to the top of the list.
It was the first win in the foreman category for Jeramie, who also placed as a lead worker in the Transportation Technician (TT) division at the Marsing shed in 2011 and 2013. Kelley Dick, who placed first in the TT series, was another former 2011 and 2013 winner.
Brad Steiner (New Meadows maintenance) placed second, while Bill Hass (Cascade maintenance) finished third in the TT division. Steiner was a winner last year for District 3.
Final scores reflected an average of two rounds through the course for dump truck drivers and front-end loader operators, a truck inspection and a written exam. Participants are given 10 minutes to find five “planted” defects in the truck-inspection category and 10 minutes to answer 10 multiple-choice questions.
The winners in each district will compete in a statewide contest, with the winners there invited to represent ITD at the Western Snow & Ice Conference in Estes Park, Colo., this fall.
“The equipment roadeo was a great success, due to the hard work of a great many people,” said District 3 Maintenance Coordinator Dan Bryant. “Alan Jones and the New Plymouth guys did a great job of feeding us; Travis Dodd, Rex Hufford and Brian Inwards (with the Banks and Special Crews) did a great job of course set-up. Other crews loaned and moved equipment and people.”
The D-3 shop provided mechanics for the truck-inspection station. Headquarters and district personnel spent hours in the hot sun, judging, running and tallying score sheets and watering and reconstructing the courses, Bryant explained.
“A lot of people, working together, made this one of the best Roadeos in memory, and we thank you all for that,” said Bryant after the event.
There were 92 people at the District 3 event – competitors, judges, cooks, support staff and spectators.
All District 3 winners will advance to the ITD statewide completion June 10 in District 4.
Here is the schedule for the remaining 2014 equipment roadeos:
District 1 - May 20 (results pending)
Defending Champ, Foreman – Marc Johnson, N&W Maintenance
Defending Champ, TT Series – Jeff Kiecker, Special Crew
District 2 - May 22 (results pending)
Defending Champ, Foreman – Mike Allen, Bovill Maintenance
Defending Champ, TT Series – Mitch Stachowski, Powell Maintenance
District 6 - May 28
Defending Champ, Foreman – Dan Hawkins, Arco Maintenance
Defending Champ, TT Series – Trent Maupin, Sugar City Maintenance
District 5 - June 3
Defending Champ, Foreman – Shane Paye, Pocatello Maintenance
Defending Champ, TT Series – Bruce Dial, Pocatello Maintenance *
* 2013 statewide champion
District 4 - June 5
Defending Champ, Foreman – Pete McGuire, Fairfield Maintenance
Defending Champ, TT Series – Jason Fisher, Twin Falls Maintenance
State finals, D-4 - June 10
Photo (left to right): Kelley Dick, Brad Steiner, Bill Hass. (Foreman winner Jeramie Gregory is not pictured.)
Published 5-23-14