Tribute to 2025 Lineman's Rodeo Team Trios

As the sun began to rise on the 41^st International Lineman’s Rodeo grounds, the 290 journeyman teams — or 870 lineworkers — prepared to scale 40-ft wood poles, rescue mannequins and showcase the skills of the line trade.

While each of these journeyman teams was special in its own way, three stood out in 2025: the first all-female team at the International Lineman’s Rodeo, the championship team from Sturgeon Electric and IBEW Local 47 and the Duke Energy competitors who walked across the stage after missing last year’s event due to back-to-back hurricanes.

These lineworkers showed grit, inspirational courage and teamwork, and after giving it all they had on the Rodeo grounds, they blazed the way for other competitors on the award stage and beyond. Here are the stories of these journeyman teams from the 2025 International Lineman’s Rodeo.

First All-Women’s Rodeo Team: Leading the Way

While female lineworkers have competed at the International Lineman’s Rodeo before, 2025 marked a new milestone — the first all-women team. All three of the competitors — Courtney Lupinek, a journeyman lineman at Seattle City Light; Cassie Crabtree, a journeyman lineman who works outside construction in the Puget Sound area and Cody James, a journeyman lineman and foreman for Potelco — all work for IBEW Local 77 in the Pacific Northwest.

“As three women who have worked relentlessly to make a name for ourselves in the trade, we were proud to be at the International Lineman’s Rodeo,” Crabtree said. “To be recognized for our determination and perseverance that we've demonstrated again and again over the years is rewarding. Our hard work has paid off in big ways, and we're grateful to be given the opportunity to compete alongside some of the best linemen in the trade.”

James said she and her teammates enjoyed the experience of competing at their first International Lineman’s Rodeo.

 “It was an absolute blast,” she said on a recording for the Line Life Podcast. “I got together with a couple of my really good friends. To our knowledge, we were the first all-female Rodeo team, and we competed in our very first Rodeo ever. We didn't do anything before this. We just went for the whole Cracker Jack box right out the gate here.”

While the Local 77 Norse FR journeyman team worked together on the pole climb, hurtman rescue and two mystery events, the three competitors hadn’t all met one another until right before the Rodeo. At the same time, however, they had common ties. James and Lupinek met in 2022 at the Seattle Women of the Trades Expo, an event to inspire young women to pursue the trades. Crabtree said she met James in 2019 during their time in the Northwest Line JATC. Until they all met at the union hall, however, the trio had not yet been in the same place at the same time.

“The three of us were contacted separately by our home Local 77 union hall and asked whether or not we’d be interested in putting together a team to compete at the International Lineman’s Rodeo,” Crabtree said. “After we all agreed, we met at the hall in Seattle a few weeks later to work out the logistics and turn the vision into action.”

The idea of an all-women’s team was fueled by Steve and Jane Layton, the owners of Norse FR, and Sara Langus, an IBEW Local 77 organizer. Norse FR sparked the idea of sponsoring an all-women’s team during their recent launch of their women’s FR Valkyrie clothing line.

“During our first meeting with Norse FR, our team was treated with hospitality and genuine authenticity,” Crabtree said. “It wasn’t hard agreeing to collaborate with a company whose missions and values align with our own. Built with a strong foundation, Norse FR creates clothing that prioritizes safety and comfort and allows us to do what we do best—moving boldly with a sense of purpose.”

By being the first all-women team, the competitors hope to inspire other hardworking women to join them at the International Lineman’s Rodeo. She gave future female competitors this advice: the biggest competitor is yourself. 

“Strive for more, but never cut corners,” she said. “Your fortitude will pay off in more ways than you know. Show them what you are capable of and let your work speak for yourself.”

Champion Journeyman Team: Climbing to the Top

The journeyman team of Dan Jameson, Enoc Verdin and Joe Maynes from Sturgeon Electric California/IBEW Local 47 strolled down the red carpet and walked across the awards stage not once but twice, sweeping both the Contractor Division and the Journeyman Division. Steve Lekvold, the Rodeo team coach and a journeyman lineman, said it all came down to preparation.

“It begins with learning from the experiences of all the Rodeos we’ve competed in, leading up to the International Lineman’s Rodeo,” said Lekvold, who has been competing in Lineman’s Rodeos since 1993. “We focus on having well-thought-out practices that emphasize small details.”

He said the team’s strategy to success was to “be at your best when your best is needed.”

“We shift into ‘Go Time Mode’ starting Friday morning, maintaining this mindset all the way to our first event on Saturday morning,” he said. “It’s crucial to not get ahead of ourselves. We concentrate fully on the event we are preparing to compete in — one at a time. “We set aside our egos and remain open to better ideas, often adjusting our plan based on observations while waiting in line for the next event.”

One of the members of the trio — Verdin, a journeyman lineman and a climber on the team — said he got ready by just sticking to the basics of safety, consistency and staying smooth.

“The team and I practiced a lot, worked on our timing and focused on the little things that make a big difference,” Verdin said. “I treated every practice like it was the real deal, made sure my gear was right and kept my head in the game. It was all about being ready for anything and trusting the work we put in.”

Throughout the competition, he said he tried to remain calm and consistent.

“I focused on doing everything safely and smoothly rather than rushing,” he said. “I visualized each event before starting, trusted my training and made sure every move had a purpose. Staying composed under pressure was key.”

Verdin said it was an incredible feeling to hear his team’s name called as the winner of the journeyman division at the 2025 International Lineman’s Rodeo Awards Banquet.

“Walking across the stage with my team was something I will never forget,” he said. “We were proud of what we accomplished but also humbled knowing how much talent was out there competing. It felt good to see our preparation and teamwork come together, and I am grateful to share that moment with my team, the company and everyone who supported us along the way.

Lekvold said the accomplishment of his team winning the championship trophy in the journeyman division is a testament to perseverance, sacrifice and determination.

“I am incredibly proud to be the coach of Team Sturgeon,” Lekvold said.

Duke Energy: Hurricane Heroes Take the Stage

Last October, two back-to-back hurricanes, Helene and Milton, hit Duke Energy’s service territory. Instead of competing at the 2024 International Lineman’s Rodeo as planned, the competitors stayed home to rebuild infrastructure and restore power in their communities.

For 2025, however, Duke Energy’s apprentices and journeymen were back in full force during the International Lineman’s Rodeo Week with 10 wins across several categories including the top team in the senior division of Jay Tipton, Keith Griffin and Sandy Barnhill, who were also senior champs back in 2023. Duke Energy’s journeyman team of Tyler Manick, Joshua Buckner and Tyler Nickols also captured the top spot in the IOU division and the third place overall in the journeyman division followed by the team of Miles Bell, Jordan Henderson and Heath Burrell, who placed second in the IOU division and fourth overall.

Bell said while the Duke Energy line crews are still doing post-hurricane work in their service territories, it felt good to be back at the International Lineman’s Rodeo.

“This is our third time competing as a team,” he said. “We missed a couple due to hurricanes, but we’re excited to be back. We put a lot of time this year practicing and did several Rodeos trying to get ready, so we’ve got our fingers crossed, and we’re hoping for a little bit of good luck.”

He said the International Lineman’s Rodeo Week is a great way to bring lineworkers and their families together.

“Just having the line trade together for a whole week is really cool,” he said. “It’s a big industry but a small world. Everywhere we go, we see familiar faces. I have buddies all over the country just because of the Rodeo, and we even stay in contact throughout the year. It’s really nice to come here and see everybody.”

Editor’s Note: To listen to the stories of the Rodeo teams, stay tuned to the T&D World Line Life Podcast at linelife.podbean.com.  Also, mark your calendars for the 2026 International Lineman’s Rodeo Week, from Oct. 14-17 in Kansas City.