
MARYSVILLE, Calif. – Yuba College’s Advanced Manufacturing program is celebrating a national victory after three of its students claimed first place in Project MFG’s Clash of Trades, a televised competition that challenges the best and brightest in advanced manufacturing, computer numerical control, or CNC, machining and additive technologies.
The 2025 Clash of Trades competition began with 60 teams from high schools, technical colleges and trade programs across the country.
After an intense qualifier round, only 16 advanced to regionals. From there, four teams earned a spot in the national finals.
Competing June 10 to 12 at Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville, Illinois, students Phoenix Farrell, 19, Adam Davis, 21, and Wyatt Curry, 21, represented Yuba College in the final round against Central Alabama Community College, Everett Community College and Autry Technology Center. The trio walked away as national champions and with $100,000 in prize money. Half will go to support the college’s manufacturing program, while the other half was split among the three students.
Each team member brought a specialized skill set to the competition.
Wyatt Curry, the team’s lead CNC programmer and machinist, arguably had the most difficult role, tackling the challenge of programming and executing intricate 5-axis milling operations. Producing complex parts under tight time constraints requires precision and confidence. Wyatt spent countless hours researching strategies, studying online forums and pushing the limits of the machine to gain every possible advantage.
Adam Davis served as the team’s 3D printing technician, managing the additive manufacturing components with precision. He also handled much of the team's computer-aided design (CAD) modeling and assisted with machine setup. Davis is known for his attention to detail and ability to troubleshoot environmental factors like humidity, which can impact print quality.
Phoenix Farrell acted as the team’s mechanic and all-around troubleshooter, contributing to programming, operation and CAD work. Farrell’s positive attitude, calm decision-making and leadership under pressure helped the team stay on track. He also served an essential role in keeping team morale high.
"This victory means the world to me for so many reasons," said Joseph Bauer, faculty lead for the team and instructor in the college’s manufacturing program. "When I started at Yuba nine years ago, I barely knew what a 5-axis mill was, and at one point, we were worried the program might be shut down due to low enrollment. This win proves that we now measure up with the best in the country."
Yuba College’s journey to the national championship began with a qualifying round earlier this year, followed by a high-pressure regional round at Bridgerland Technical College in Logan, Utah. According to Bauer, regionals were especially intense due to the unknown performance of other teams.
"There was a sense of urgency," said Bauer. "Wyatt decided to get very aggressive with his cuts and ended up finishing all the parts over an hour early. That risky strategy helped set us apart."
Wyatt described the team's run as nothing short of dominant. “We didn’t run into any issues. Looking at the video they released for our regionals, no other team came close,” he said. “At nationals, we finished four hours ahead of anyone else and our parts were the closest to spec.” During the final round, their work even pushed the physical limits of the equipment. “We hit the limits of what the machine was capable of doing and surprised the instructor of the facility because he hadn’t run it that hard before.”
The team also stood out for their efficiency and positive spirit. Davis recalled, “We had to keep calling the camera crew over to get footage because we were finishing everything so fast.” Farrell added that the camera crew even caught him relaxing with his feet up, reading a book, while other teams were still machining.
For Curry, the experience was defined by both performance and camaraderie. “We were the only team that seemed to have fun. The entire time we were all smiles and just working. No one came close to having as good a time there as us.”
The team’s chemistry wasn’t always seamless. Bauer described early team dynamics as rocky, with the students needing to learn how to work together rather than compete against one another. But through focused practice and mentorship, they developed the chemistry and discipline needed to excel on a national stage.
"Preparing for Round 1 was rough," Bauer said. "They were just a group of students then, not a team. But once they opened those instructions, it got real, and they locked in."
For Davis, the win symbolizes what’s possible when programs like Yuba’s are given the resources to thrive. "I’m glad I was able to support our little corner of Yuba’s campus and show the potential of what the manufacturing program could be if given the support to grow," he said.
The team also credited their success to the support of local industry partner Kingsbury Inc., located in Yuba City, which provided donated materials, tooling and scheduling flexibility.
"Our work is expensive, and we don’t have the enrollment numbers that programs like Nursing do," said Bauer. "We’re incredibly thankful to Kingsbury for helping make this happen."
All three students are already putting their skills to work. Farrell is now employed at Kingsbury as an industrial manufacturing technician. Davis landed a job as a machinist at a fabrication shop just days after returning from the finals. Curry, who has worked at a small shop for over a year while finishing his degree, recently started a new job at a large manufacturing facility.
The students expressed immense appreciation to those who helped them along the way. Farrell extended thanks to Project MFG, Yuba College instructors Joe Bauer and Dan Turner, his boss Nic Prather at Kingsbury and the community who supported them. “And to my teammates Wyatt and Adam for being the best possible tradesmen for the job,” he said. Davis added, “I’m just proud I could help represent Yuba and show what this program is capable of.”
The Clash of Trades national championship aired from July 23 to August 8.The episodes can be viewed on Project MFG’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/@ProjectMFG.