NRCGA Chair Dennis Bott with Greg Carreras, the 2022 NRCGA Utility Locate Rodeo and Power Division winner.
Gas Division winner Terrance Steinline.
Telecommunication Division winner Vincent Griffin.
City of North Las Vegas line locator Greg Carreras is Nevada’s 2022 Locator of the year after winning at the NRCGA’s 4th Annual Utility Locate Rodeo on Saturday, Dec. 17.
The competition to most accurately locate power, gas and telecommunication lines took place at various locations on the UNLV campus. Every competitor was required to compete in each of the three divisions. Carreras won the power division and received a check for $1240.
Carreras went on to compete in the Jackpot Locate with the winners of the power and gas divisions. Terrance Steinline, a Stake Center locator, won the gas division and Vincent Griffin, a USIC locator, won the telecommunication division. Carreras came out on top and took the title of Locator of the Year and a prize purse of $2,480, which was in addition to the $1,240 each locator received for winning a division. All prize money was provided by the sponsors shown below.
In addition to the prize money for winning divisions and the Jackpot Locate, competitors walked away with full bellies from being treated to breakfast and lunch, as well as TVs, tools and gift cards donated by the NRCGA, Southwest Gas, Stake Center, USA North 811, Sal Caponigro, and Zayo.
Volunteers in blue shirts and competitors in yellow pose pre-competition.
Cornhole champion Jeremy Crawford.
Rodeo champion Kevin Nutt, Left, and the NRCGA’s Craig Rogers, right.
Judge Colin Miyadi completes his checklist while Robert Atencio looks on.
Tom Fava III listens to judge Colin Miyadi.
Kevin Nutt, a locator with Western States Contracting, is Nevada’s top utility locator after winning the NRCGA’s 3rd Annual Utility Locate Rodeo on Saturday, April 27.
Kevin competed for the first time in this year’s Rodeo, though he’s known of it for the past two years. “It was stressful, but great,” Kevin said of the competition. “I had a lot of fun.”
Kevin not only won the overall tournament; he also won the power and communication divisions. Kevin took home prize money for both divisions, as well as the cash prize for winning the Jackpot Locate.
New this year, Rodeo participants competed in locating in all three divisions – gas, electric and communications – at different competition sites on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus. During the previous two years, competitors competed in the one division of their choosing.
Division winners are determined based on a performing a locating skill test within a 12-minute timeframe. The locator with the best score within each division goes on to compete in the Jackpot Locate, which entails performing locates within a 3-minute timeframe.
As in previous years, competitors in this year’s Rodeo selected their division of preference, which for Kevin was power. And also as in previous years, the winner of each division went on to compete in the Jackpot Locate. With Kevin taking the top spot in both the power and communication divisions, he ultimately represented the power division in the Jackpot Locate. The 2nd place winner in the communication division was Robert Atencio, a locator with ELM, who also took first place in the gas division. Since Kevin and Robert were already guaranteed spots in the Jackpot Locate competition, the 3rd spot in the Jackpot Locate went to Tom Fava III, also a locator with ELM, who placed 3rd in the communication division.
In addition to prize money, Kevin also receives NRCGA-sponsored travel to Springfield, Missouri, to participate in the 2019 International Utility Locate Rodeo in December. According to Kevin, he plans to compete in the NRCGA’s 2020 4th annual Rodeo. “Hard work pays off,” Kevin said.
Also new this year, the NRCGA implemented a cornhole competition at each division competition site. Competitors, spectators and Rodeo volunteers were invited to compete. The top two scorers overall went on to compete for the bragging rights of being named Cornhole Champion – and also the right to pick any prize from among the door prizes provided by rodeo sponsors. Jeremy Crawford, a locator with Kern River Gas Transmission, is Cornhole Champion and he chose a 52” flat screen TV.
Without our sponsors, the rodeo would not be possible. Sponsors not only provide the cash prizes won by division and Jackpot Locate winners, but they provide the great door prizes (TVs, smart watches, tools, etc.) raffled during the award ceremony as the close of the Rodeo. A million thanks to all the companies listed below!
Locator of the Year, Darrell Herbert (right) with Bob Ward (left), NRCGA Chair.
On Saturday, April 28, Darrell Herbert, a utility line locator with ELM Utility Services, won the title of Locator of the Year at the 2nd Annual NRCGA Utility Locate Rodeo, held on the UNLV campus in Las Vegas. As Nevada’s top locator, Herbert took home a champion belt buckle, $1920 in cash, and a free trip to compete in the International Utility Locate Rodeo later in the year.
Thirty-five line locators from across Nevada registered to compete in the 2nd annual NRCGA rodeo in three divisions: gas, electric and telecommunications. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas, graciously donated campus lawn space for the competition to take place. Each division competition area consisted of two “wheels,” with each competitor using his locating know-how to most accurately locate an underground gas, electric or telecommunication utility buried underneath each wheel. The competitors were given 12 minutes to find the buried utility, measure its location in proximity to wheel spokes, and report those measurement to scorekeepers.
Rodeo Master Judge Rick Torrens (white t-shirt at left) explains how to locate and measure a buried utility for competition purposes with this demonstration “wheel.”
Herbert won the electric division; Josh Albitre with USIC took the telecommunication division; and Lelan Merel with NPL Construction Co. took the gas division. Herbert, Albitre and Merel each received $960 as the top locator for their respective divisions.
Along with the cash prize, Herbert, Albitre and Merel went on to compete in the Jackpot Locate for the title of top locator in Nevada. With only three minutes to complete the locate, Herbert received the top score and ultimately won the entire competition.
Money paid out to division winners and the Jackpot Locate winner was provided by rodeo sponsors: USA North 811, USIC, RP Weddell & Sons, Paiute Pipeline, Southwest Gas Corporation, ELM Utility Services, Advanced Infrastructure Technologies, NPL, Byrd Underground, Vivax Metrotech, and NV energy. Each company contributed $400.
In addition to providing cash prizes for division and Jackpot Locate winners, sponsors also provided door prizes to gift during the rodeo award ceremony at the end of the day. Tension in the room was palpable as locators waited to hear their numbers drawn for smart TVs, laptops, tablets, WiFi speakers, and many more fabulous gifts!
See you at the 3rd Annual Utility Locate Rodeo in the spring of 2019!
Eric Flores, a utility line locator with ELM, walked away from the June 3 NRCGA Utility Locate Rodeo as Nevada’s top locator. Now Flores will go on to represent Nevada at the June 24 International Utility Locate Rodeo in Dallas.
Thirteen locators from around Nevada competed in one of three Rodeo divisions – gas, power and communications. USIC’s Brian Alfred took the communication division, Ricky Spurlock, ELM, won the power division, with Flores locking up the gas division. Each division winner took home $1060 in prize money, all provided by Rodeo sponsors. Alfred, Spurlock and Flores went on to compete in the Jackpot Locate for the title of Locator of the Year and $2120 in additional prize money provided by Rodeo sponsors, which Flores ultimately claimed.
Prize drawings during the event’s award ceremony, held at the close of the Rodeo, ensured each competitor walked away a winner. Thanks to the generosity of the Rodeo’s vendors and sponsors, competitors took home TVs, drones, an iPad, Google speaker, and power tool.
