High schoolers compete in 28th annual SkillsUSA Regional Conference at Alfred State

More than 950 high school students from Region I Board of Cooperative Education and Services (BOCES) districts, encompassing Western New York and the Southern Tier, competed in the 28th annual SkillsUSA Region I Leadership Conference and Skills Olympics March 7 at Alfred State.

The winners of this regional competition will advance to the next level in Syracuse in April, where all six regions in New York State will meet to attempt to qualify for the national competition in Louisville, KY, in June. A postsecondary SkillsUSA state competition will also take place on the Wellsville campus on Saturday, March 25.

Skills tests ranged from criminal justice to TV/video production to public speaking. Alfred State faculty, staff, and students were heavily involved in the design, implementation, and judging of many of the contests. Many of the high school students were exposed to a college campus for the first time.

Contestants from the following schools attended:

Genesee Valley (Batavia); Career and Technical Education Center at Belmont; Lake Shore/ Carrier Educational Center (Angola); Charles G May Career-Tech Center (Mt. Morris); Greater Southern Tier (GST) BOCES, Coopers Campus (Painted Post); Edison Tech and Occupational High School (Rochester); Eastern Monroe Career Center (EMCC) (Fairport); Ellicottville CTE Center; Finger Lakes Technical and Career Center (Stanley); GST BOCES Pauline Bush Campus (Elmira); Harkness Career and Technical Center (Cheektowaga); Hewes Educational Center (Ashville); Kenton Career and Technical Education Center (Tonawanda); LoGuidice Center (Fredonia); Niagara (Sanborn); Olean CTE Center; Orleans Career and Technical Education Center (Medina); WD Ormsby Educational Center (East Aurora); Potter Career and Technical Center (West Seneca); Wayne Technical and Career Center (Williamson); WEMOCO Career and Technical Education Center (Spencerport); and GST BOCES, Wildwood Campus (Hornell).

An awards ceremony honored the following winners:

Action Skills

• Casey Rosinski, Carrier, 1st
• Rachel Finein, EMCC, 2nd
• Earl Leonard, GST Coopers, 3rd

Advertising Design

• Noah Lubberts, GST Coopers, 1st
• Madison Pedini, Niagara, 2nd
• Hanna Wade, WEMOCO, 3rd

Animal Careers

• Brittney Schechterly, Kenton, 1st
• Emily Pfalzer, Kenton, 2nd
• Megan Strunk, W.D. Ormsby, 3rd

Auto Body Helper

• Jalon Hargis, Niagara, and David Lee, Orleans, tied for 1st
• Randy Holland, Ellicottville, 2nd

Auto Service

• Dalton Ellis, GV Batavia, 1st
• Anthony Jones, WEMOCO, 2nd
• Justin Davenport, GV CG May, 3rd

Auto Technology

• Kyle Schilling, W.D. Ormsby, 1st
• James Miller, Harkness, 2nd
• Dakota Williams, GST Wildwood, 3rd

Carpenter's Assistant

• Rory Reis, WEMOCO, 1st
• Vincent Presutti, Niagara, 2nd
• Walter Fuller, WEMOCO, 3rd

Carpentry

• Alexander Ackley, Niagara, 1st
• Reid Martell, WEMOCO, 2nd
• Amanda Brown, Niagara, 3rd

Collision Repair

• Dillon Groover, GST Coopers, 1st
• Garrett Bochenek, Ellicottville, 2nd
• Jacob Ness, EMCC, 3rd

Commercial Baking

• Robin Johnson, Hewes, 1st
• Jessica Koneski, WEMOCO, 2nd
• Shaylee Oney, GST Wildwood, 3rd

Computer Maintenance

• Sarah King, GST Wildwood, 1st
• Hunter Bresee, GST Wildwood, 2nd
• Russell Apfet, Niagara, 3rd

Conservation

• Michael Loveless, Wayne, 1st
• Nicholas Koch, Niagara, 2nd

Cosmetology Jr.

• Reagan Howell, GST Wildwood, 1st
• Kylie Bruce, Belmont, 2nd
• Shianna Brisson, WEMOCO, 3rd

Cosmetology Sr.

• Abigail Marbaker, Kenton, 1st
• Ryan Townsend, Orleans, 2nd
• Isabel Aguilera-Fonseca, Wayne, 3rd

CPR/First Aid

• Jay Riesenberger, EMCC, 1st
• Cassandra Lesinski, W.D. Ormsby, 2nd
• Delilah Grathouse, WEMOCO, 3rd

Criminal Justice

• Gage Grottenthaler, GST Coopers, 1st
• Chandler Heary, Orleans, 2nd
• Gabriela Santos, Orleans, 3rd

Crime Scene Investigation (Three-Person Teams)

• Ellicottville, 1st
• W.D. Ormsby, 2nd
• Niagara, 3rd

Culinary Arts

• Alyssa Doxey, Orleans, 1st
• Andrew Ferrandino, Harkness, 2nd
• Devon Soles, GST Wildwood, 3rd

Custom Painting

• Dominic Hartenstein, W.D. Ormsby, 1st
• Michelle Pellett, GST Wildwood, 2nd
• Lucas Lott, GST Coopers, 3rd

Diesel Mechanics

• Stephen Zayac, Orleans, 1st
• Kyle Sharkey, Niagara, 2nd
• Wyatt Janese, Niagara, 3rd

Early Childhood

• Emily DiMayo, Orleans, and Courtney Kellogg, Ellicottville, tied for 1st
• Courtneay Kay Fiske, Ellicottville, 2nd

Electrical Construction & Wiring

• Jacob Kaufman, Harkness, 1st
• Tyler Best, Potter, 2nd
• Michael Todero, Niagara, 3rd

Electronics Technology

• Jacob Eggleston, GV Batavia, 1st
• Joseph Genau, Harkness, 2nd
• Anthony Leggio, Harkness, 3rd

Employment Application

• James Pawlak, GST Bush, 1st
• Faith Dawson, WEMOCO, 2nd
• Emily Hohman, EMCC, 3rd

Esthetics

• Elizabeth Ferrell, GST Wildwood, 1st
• Michael Godlove, GV Batavia, 2nd
• Morgan Brungard, GST Wildwood, 3rd

Extemporaneous Speech

• Julianna Lisak, EMCC, 1st
• Kayla Smith, Orleans, 2nd
• Eric Stone, Orleans, 3rd

Food Prep Assistant

• Logen Southard, GST Coopers, 1st
• Christopher Martin, Niagara, 2nd
• Camilla Houghtelling, GST Wildwood, 3rd

Health Knowledge Bowl (Four-Person Teams)

• Potter, 1st
• GST Coopers, 2nd
• Orleans, 3rd

Job Demo A

• Hayleann Hardricourt, Niagara, 1st
• Riley Martinez, W.D. Ormsby, 2nd
• Sharlinda Kolbe, GST Wildwood, 3rd

Job Demo Open

• Joseph Rayeski, GST Coopers, 1st
• Alexis Menke, EMCC, 2nd
• Brenna Sergi, W.D. Ormsby, 3rd

Job Interview

• Jillian Jackson, Hewes, 1st
• Taylor Sykes, GST Bush, 2nd
• Josephine Capen, Orleans, 3rd

Masonry

• Corkey Swails, Edison, 1st
• Jewel Hall, Edison, 2nd
• Jeremiah Lynch, GST Bush, 3rd

Nail Technician

• Braillen Hare, Orleans, and Teri Ann Graham, Model, 1st
• Makena Carpenter, Orleans, and Hannah Yocum, Model, 2nd
• Shelby Sullivan, Belmont, and Samantha Dersam, Model, 3rd

Photography

• Sophia Cox, EMCC, 1st
• Skyla Chapman, Olean, 2nd
• Macayla Howell, GST Wildwood, 3rd

Power Equipment

• Takoda Harris, GST Coopers, 1st
• Jacob Booth, GST Wildwood, 2nd
• Cooper Fournier, Niagara, 3rd

Precision Heavy Equipment

• James Sweeting, WEMOCO, 1st
• Tyler Sleve GST Coopers, 2nd
• Chad Warriner, GST Wildwood, 3rd

Prepared Speech

• Alec Slomba, Orleans, 1st
• Catherine Fleischhut, Orleans, 2nd
• Lee Charlier, GST Coopers, 3rd

Quiz Bowl (Five-Person Teams)

• GST Wildwood, 1st
• LoGuidice, 2nd
• GST Bush, 3rd

Related Technical Math

• Tanner Rees, Orleans, 1st
• Kody Hayes, Orleans, 2nd
• Grant Keppel, Harkness, 3rd

Restaurant Services

• Reanna Hewitt, Niagara, 1st
• Genesis Rivera, GST Coopers, 2nd
• Destiny Petty, GST Bush, 3rd

Small Engines

• Jake Seeley, GST Wildwood, 1st
• Robert Wilcox, Niagara, 2nd
• Adam Wagner, Niagara, 3rd

Sports Conditioning

• Logan Schwartz, W.D. Ormsby, 1st
• Jason Messing, Kenton, 2nd
• Damarion Walker, Kenton, 3rd

Technical Drafting

• Cole Hanks, W.D. Ormsby, 1st
• Andrew Carrigan, Niagara, 2nd
• Jack Muscarella, Orleans, 3rd

T-Shirt Design

• Zack Hamilton, GST Coopers, 1st
• Sarra Stewart, GST Coopers, 2nd
• Paige Wetherwax, Orleans, 3rd

TV/Video Production

• Elliot Spitzer and Hope Flanders, Niagara, 1st
• Derek Bush and Ethan Reynolds, Belmont, 2nd
• Tyler Locke and Steven Nolan, GST Bush, 3rd

Welding

• Joseph Hecko, Niagara, and Conner Jordan, Orleans, tied for 1st
• Nick Coggins, LoGuidice, 2nd
• Josef Gerace, Potter, 3rd