By DIANE GASPER-O'BRIEN

dobrien@dailynews.net

Dylan Gross was a three-sport athlete in high school, and he has stayed interested in sports since graduating from Western Plains High School in Ransom in 2007.

But the 20-year-old Bazine native hasn't had much time to watch the 2008 Olympics on television.

He's been too busy preparing for his own olympics.

Gross, a 2007 graduate of North Central Kansas Technical School in Beloit, is trying to qualify for the World Skills Competition in welding.

Gross won the state welding skills competition in the spring of 2007 to qualify for Skills USA, which sponsors numerous state and national competitions, ranging from baking to welding.

Twelve of the top USA performers during a two-year period at nationals -- Gross placed 10th in welding in 2007 -- then are asked to send in projects to judges representing the American Welding Society.

The six best welders from that group will compete at a qualifying competition in October in Las Vegas in the first of several steps to determine who gets the chance to represent the United States in next summer's World Skills Competition in Canada.

Gross has been traveling to Beloit this summer to practice welding and to make his projects to send in for judging.

Sort of like the Olympic trials.

"It's a lot of work, but it's fun, too," Gross said.

NCKTC students traditionally have done well in welding skills competitions under instructor Kyle Kopsa.

"He is a really good teacher, and for a nine-month program it's amazing what you get out of it," Gross said.

Gross said he was looking for a school with a "good automotive program" when he visited NCKTC in Beloit back in 2007.

Gross enrolled in the welding program instead.

Upon graduation, Gross said he found a good job at D&S Machine & Welding, a business in Ness City that specializes in oil field machine work. And now he's got a shot at so much more.

Gross said he wasn't sure about how he would take vacation time from his job if he qualifies for the Las Vegas competition, but he said he would work it out somehow.

"The whole shop will probably take off for that," he said with a laugh.