- Rodeo highlights the skills Duke Energy lineworkers use every day to maintain and upgrade the grid, restore service after storms and outages and support growing communities
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Duke Energy teams earned six awards at the International Lineman’s Rodeo, one of the world’s premier lineworker competitions, held Oct. 17 in Bonner Springs, Kansas.
Among the honors, Justin McCarson, Heath Burrell and Miles Bell placed second overall in the journeyman division, while Keith Griffin, Jay Tipton and Sandy Barnhill took first place in the journeyman seniors division.
The big picture
This year’s International Lineman’s Rodeo brought together approximately 1,250 competitors from around the world. Duke Energy sent 57 lineworkers who earned their spots by ranking among the top performers at the company’s regional rodeos earlier in 2026.
For more than 40 years, the International Lineman’s Rodeo has tested lineworkers in events modeled on the real-world tasks they perform to maintain the electric grid and restore power. Competitors are evaluated on speed, agility, technique and adherence to safety procedures.
Why it matters
Every day, Duke Energy lineworkers help keep power flowing to homes, businesses and critical services by maintaining and upgrading the electric grid, restoring power after severe weather and deploying advanced technologies that improve reliability.
Their work helps reduce the impact of outages, accelerate power restoration and support growing communities across Duke Energy’s service territories. Lineworkers also play a key role in installing smart, self-healing technology that can detect outages, automatically reroute power and often restore service in less than a minute.
As energy needs continue to evolve, their expertise helps strengthen the grid and deliver long-term value for customers through safer, more reliable and more resilient service.
Our winners
Journeyman Mystery Event #1
- First place – Justin McCarson (Hendersonville, N.C.), Heath Burrell (Hendersonville, N.C.), Miles Bell (Tryon, N.C.)
Journeyman IOU
- Second place – Justin McCarson (Hendersonville, N.C.), Heath Burrell (Hendersonville, N.C.), Miles Bell (Tryon, N.C.)
- Fourth place – Tyler Nickols (Marion, N.C.), Joshua Buckner (Marion, N.C.), Tyler Manick (Old Fort, N.C.)
Journeyman Seniors
- First place – Keith Griffin (Marshall, N.C.), Jay Tipton (Marshall, N.C.), Sandy Barnhill (Fuquay Varina, N.C.)
- Second place – Matthew Clark (Benson, N.C.), Danny Haithcock (Timmonsville, N.C.), Hunter Boone (Southern Pines, N.C.)
Journeyman Overall
- Second place – Justin McCarson (Hendersonville, N.C.), Heath Burrell (Hendersonville, N.C.), Miles Bell (Tryon, N.C.)
What we’re saying
Scott Batson, executive vice president and chief power grid officer for Duke Energy:
“We are incredibly proud of our competitors and the way they represent Duke Energy and the communities we serve. The skill, discipline and commitment they demonstrate at the International Lineman’s Rodeo reflect the dedication all Duke Energy lineworkers bring to serving customers every day – strengthening reliability, responding when customers need us and delivering safe, dependable service.”
Justin McCarson, senior engineering technologist, Hendersonville, N.C.:
“Competing at the International Lineman’s Rodeo and bringing home an award is something I’m incredibly proud of, but it’s bigger than any one person. This job takes teamwork, trust and looking out for the person working beside you. We bring that mindset to our work every day as we serve our customers and communities. That’s what makes this job so rewarding.”
Zoom out
As Duke Energy continues investing in grid modernization and resiliency improvements, highly trained lineworkers remain essential to delivering safe, reliable service, supporting economic growth and meeting the evolving energy needs of customers and communities.
Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America’s largest energy holding companies. The company’s electric utilities serve 8.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,700 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky.
Duke Energy is executing an energy modernization strategy, keeping customer value at the forefront as it invests in electric grid upgrades and efficient generation resources to strengthen the system and serve growing energy needs. More information is available at duke-energy.com. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook for stories about the people and innovations powering its communities.
Contact: Zach Vavricka
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
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SOURCE Duke Energy
