Keith Clark, Chaz Hathaway, Bennie Pittman, Mike Silverthorne, Jason Owens, David McKeel, and Matthew Worthington
A team of Water Resources employees competed in the Eastern Water and Wastewater Network Backhoe Rodeo in Tarboro on October 23rd.
This annual event gives equipment operators from Eastern North Carolina the opportunity to display their talents in operating excavating equipment like rubber tire backhoes and small trackhoes. It’s also a great way for operators to test their ability in performing tasks safely and quickly while also highlighting the hidden talent behind the scenes of water and wastewater distribution.
Six different events took place, and scoring was based on the time taken to complete in each one. Penalties were added to the time if the operator dropped a ball, pipe, or chain; touched or knocked over a cone; or did not properly align objects.
Representing GUC this year were Water Resources Operations/Maintenance Technicians Michael Silverthorne, Bennie Pittman, Jason Owens, David McKeel, and Matthew Worthington along with O/M Crew Leaders Keith Clark and Chaz Hathaway.
Chaz took home 1st place in the Pipe Walk and earned 2nd place in both the Building Blocks and Pick & Roll events. He initially tied for 2nd with a competitor from Wilson in the Pick & Roll and took the 2nd spot with a tie-breaker event.
Michael wrapped up his GUC career at the competition with 2nd place finishes in the Slam Dunk and Pipe Walk events. You can find his retirement story on page 20.
With a record-breaking 28 competitors this year, our team stood out with precision, power, and professionalism. Congratulations to all!
