USU Eastern Student to Compete at USA Weld Trials

Benjamin Cornaby aims to represent the USA at the WorldSkills competition in Shanghai.

Published on Feb. 28, 2026

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Utah State University Eastern student Benjamin Cornaby will compete in the final round of the USA Weld Trials later this month. Cornaby is one of three finalists for the United States, with the winner advancing to the WorldSkills competition to represent the USA in Shanghai in September. Cornaby has been the top collegiate welder in each of the past two years, winning back-to-back SkillsUSA national competitions.

Why it matters

Cornaby's participation in the USA Weld Trials continues a history of excellence for the welding program at USU Eastern. If he wins, it will be the third consecutive WorldSkills competition to feature a USU Eastern student as the USA representative, following Wyatt Hansen in 2024 and Jordan Packer in 2022.

The details

The competition will last about 18 hours, and Cornaby has been training unceasingly, working to refine his craft and take steps to improve each day. He averages about 65 hours of practice each week. Cornaby was the second-place finisher in the 2024 USA Weld Trials, and since then, he has continued to seek daily improvement.

  • The USA Weld Trials will be held from February 28 to March 6, 2026 in Huntsville, Alabama.
  • Cornaby was the second-place finisher in the 2024 USA Weld Trials.

The players

Benjamin Cornaby

A student at Utah State University Eastern who will compete in the final round of the USA Weld Trials later this month. Cornaby has been the top collegiate welder in each of the past two years, winning back-to-back SkillsUSA national competitions.

Wyatt Hansen

A former USU Eastern student who represented the USA at the WorldSkills competition in 2024.

Jordan Packer

A former USU Eastern student who represented the USA at the WorldSkills competition in 2022.

Austin Welch

An associate professor of welding at USU Eastern and one of Cornaby's mentors.

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What they’re saying

“I've been working toward the goal of representing the USA at WorldSkills for over two years now. I want to look back knowing I did my best when I could, and my goal is that the week of competing at Worlds will feel like any other training week that I do leading up to it.”

— Benjamin Cornaby (castlecountryradio.com)

“It takes years. Ben is operating now at a level of confidence that is attainable only after the amount of preparation he's put into this. This allows Ben to execute his game plan and keep performing even when things in the competition go wrong or unforeseen changes come up.”

— Austin Welch, Associate Professor of Welding, USU Eastern (castlecountryradio.com)

“Knowing that I am one of three competitors nationwide makes me think about the time and effort the other two competitors must have had to sacrifice to get to where they are today. We can all relate to each other in that regard, and we are some of the few that understand what it takes to get to this level. Now that I've had the chance to meet and get to know them a little better, I respect them as fellow competitors and what they stand for.”

— Benjamin Cornaby (castlecountryradio.com)

What’s next

The USA Weld Trials will be held from February 28 to March 6, 2026 in Huntsville, Alabama. The winner will advance to represent the USA at the WorldSkills competition in Shanghai in September 2026.

The takeaway

Cornaby's participation in the USA Weld Trials highlights the excellence of the welding program at Utah State University Eastern, which has produced the USA representative at the last two WorldSkills competitions. Cornaby's dedication and hard work have positioned him as one of the top collegiate welders in the country, and a win at the USA Weld Trials would continue this tradition of success.