Virginia Highlands Community College (VHCC) is proud to announce its Precision Machining student team has won a Bronze Medal in the nationwide 2026 Student Design and Machining Competition. Hosted by Phillips Corporation, this annual contest includes community colleges, technical schools, and universities from across the country and challenges students to use Haas CNC machines and Markforged 3D printers to solve real-world industry problems.
Led by Program Chair Johnnie Keene, the six-student team—dubbed “The Wolfpack”—worked from December 2025 to March 2026 to design and manufacture an innovative Ram Pump. The device pumps well water during emergencies without utilizing any electricity. Unlike typical commercial ram pumps made of fragile PVC plastic, The Wolfpack constructed theirs from stainless steel, brass, and aluminum. This custom metal design ensures extreme rigidity and long-term operating durability. They documented their progress through video submissions, filming their final working demonstration at the historic Whites Mill in Abingdon, VA.
"Our team wanted to create a project that could make a difference in people’s lives," said Johnnie Keene, Precision Machining Program Chair. "The local communities around our area were hit hard by hurricane Helene, leaving many without power and running water. The idea of a Ram Pump sending fresh spring water to homes in our rural area or providing drinking water to livestock seemed like a perfect fit for our group. With only the initial cost of materials, this pump could run for years free of charge, with no electrical or fuel requirements and could even provide irrigation to fields in impoverished areas around the world. But our number one goal was helping our neighbors in their time of need.”
Kayla Adamson, Austin Boardwine, Bradee French, Connor McMullen, T.J. Stacy, and Josh Tipton made up the six-person team. Te-Kai Shu of Strongwell Corporation served as their local manufacturing sponsor.
As Bronze Medal winners, the college receives one Haas Simulator, a $1,000 Haas Tooling certificate, and a $1,000 Markforged certificate. Additionally, each student team member will receive individual Haas caliper and micrometer tool sets to carry into their future manufacturing careers.