Austin senior Toby Holtz has all the time been a tough employee in athletics, however he additionally has one other ardour that brings out the very best in him. 

Holtz was a bodily linebacker for the Packer soccer workforce, the place he drew curiosity from Division II and Division III faculties. He is a gradual rotation participant for the Packer baseball workforce this spring, and he was additionally a strong hockey participant, which is the game he’s hoping to play in school. But most of Holtz’s opponents haven’t seen a few of his finest work.

For the previous 4 years, Holtz has taken up welding and he’s succeeded as a business and creative welder at Austin High School. Holtz lately completed second in a Southeast Minnesota Welding Competition at a job truthful at Rochester Technical and Community College the place he had 20 minutes to work on an precise job.

“It was a little stressful, because I wasn’t really prepared to do a bunch of welds with the time I had, but it was still fun,” Holtz stated. 

That success in welding has Holtz excited about a profession in engineering, however his prize piece isn’t an expert job. It is an eight foot tall, 200-pound jet aircraft that serves as a tribute to his grandfather. Holtz fashioned the fighter aircraft with steel scrap items that he discovered within the AHS artwork room.

“My grandpa really likes airplanes and he worked on them in the Air Force. I thought it would be really cool to make one,” Holtz stated. “Sometimes I just kind of put stuff together. I really enjoy doing it.”

While the fighter aircraft is his most excellent creation, Holtz has additionally welded artwork items that includes his personal title, small figures lifting weights, enjoying hockey and welding.

Holtz can also be a PSEO scholar at Riverland Community College which retains him extraordinarily busy.

AHS head soccer coach Ed Schmitt stated that Holtz is an impressive instance of what a scholar athlete may be.

“Toby is a phenomenal young man. He’s not the most outspoken person, but he leads by example and he does and says the right thing,” Schmitt stated. “All of us coaches love having three sport athletes who aren’t specializing. With the PSEO part of it, he’s doing the right thing on and off the field. Toby’s one of those kids who you don’t have to worry about. Anything that is thrown his way, he’ll have the best outcome that he can get. He’s a great young man, he has great parents and the sky is the limit for Toby.”

Holtz’s need to work in welding got here nearly as quickly as he arrived at AHS. He was strolling previous the store room and needed to give it a attempt.

Holtz’s passions have saved him busy, however his artwork initiatives could ultimately make him some cash. He has thought of utilizing it as a facet job sooner or later, however for now he’s specializing in maintaining together with his time administration.

“I make a plan and I see how much time I have to do everything. I’m also a PSEO student, and there is always homework,” Holtz stated. “When you’re a three-sport athlete, you don’t have a lot of time to do other things like have fun. Sometimes you just want to hang out with your friends, but you don’t have time to do that. The best part about it is having fun with your teammates and having fun playing sports.”