High schoolers compete in 30th 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 30th annual SkillsUSA Region I Leadership Conference and Skills Olympics March 5 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 23.

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

• Kendra Heath, GST Coopers, 1^st
• Robert Crewe, Niagara, 2^nd
• Grace Stephens, EMCC, 3rd

Advertising Design

• Tyler Smith, GST Coopers, 1^st
• Skylar Goodman, Edison, 2^nd
• Damien White, GST Coopers, 3^rd

Animal Careers

• Julia Lindo, Belmont, 1^st
• Jamie Bonar, Harkness, 2^nd
• Madison Mosher, LoGuidice, 3^rd

Auto Body Helper

• Tyler Hosmer, GST Wildwood, and James Flannery, Wayne, tied for 1^st
• Cody Harvey, Ellicottville, 2^nd

Auto Service

• Dillan Horning, GST Coopers, 1^st
• Grant Cheney, Hewes, 2^nd
• Tucker McCaig, GST Wildwood, 3^rd

Auto Technology

• Daniel Eckert, WD Ormsby, 1^st
• Connor Lynden, LoGuidice, 2^nd
• Ethan Bibby, WEMOCO, 3^rd

Carpenter's Assistant

• Daniel Roe, WEMOCO, 1^st
• Derek Lupia, WEMOCO, 2^nd
• Nathan Semski, GST Bush, 3^rd

Carpentry

• Michael Huntington, Orleans, 1^st
• Jeffrey Jones, GST Wildwood, 2^nd
• Alex Jumper, GST Coopers, 3^rd

CNC Milling

• Avery Cheatle, EMCC, 1^st
• Evan Bartz, GV Batavia, 2^nd
• Jeffrey Chapman, Orleans, 3^rd

Collision Repair

• Joshua Conner, GST Coopers, 1^st
• Armani Rosario, WEMOCO, 2^nd
• Jacob Wig, Ellicottville, 3^rd

Commercial Baking

• Yara Assaf, Niagara, 1^st
• Alexandra Lint, Harkness, 2^nd
• Emily Cascio, Kenton, 3^rd

Computer Maintenance

• Collin Campbell, GST Wildwood, 1^st
• Zack Fox, GST Wildwood, 2^nd
• Andrew Alvord, GST Wildwood, 3^rd

Cosmetology Jr.

• Grace Corley, WD Ormsby, 1^st
• Stefanie Nicholas, Orleans, 2^nd
• Taylor Shaw, Belmont, 3^rd

Cosmetology Sr.

• Ashley Reitz, Belmont, 1^st
• Lexus Waite, Orleans, 2^nd
• Lindsy Cali, EMCC, 3^rd

CPR/First Aid

• Carolyn Pizzingrilli, EMCC, 1^st
• Christopher Gregoire, EMCC, 2^nd
• Rheannon Nasca, Niagara, 3^rd

Criminal Justice

• Nicholas Woodward, Niagara, 1^st
• Tommy Hall, Olean, 2^nd
• Justin Decker, Wayne, 3^rd

Crime Scene Investigation (Three-Person Teams)

• Niagara, 1^st
• CG May, 2^nd
• Orleans, 3^rd

Culinary Arts

• Alexis Cramer, Harkness, 1^st
• Julia Tibold, WD Ormsby, 2^nd
• Kodi Figueroa, WEMOCO, 3^rd

Custom Painting

• Gavin Schmidt, GV Batavia, 1^st
• Morgan Sullivan, Orleans, 2^nd
• Scott Bollin-Shugarts, GV Batavia, 3^rd

Diesel Mechanics

• Austin Zwelling, Niagara, 1^st
• Cameron Wollaber, Niagara, 2^nd
• Alec Hurlbut, GST Wildwood, 3^rd

Early Childhood

• Jenna Langley, Ellicottville, and Taylor Morrissette, Niagara, tied for 1^st
• Shae Johnson, Ellicottville, 2^nd

Electrical Construction & Wiring

• Isaac Conrad, EMCC, 1^st
• Nicholas Thompson, Harkness, 2^nd
• Bar Reh, Edison, 3^rd

Employment Application

• Sierra Cartagena, EMCC, 1^st
• Trinity Grist, GST Coopers, 2^nd
• Logan Robinson, GST Coopers, 3^rd

Esthetics

• Paige White, WD Ormsby, 1^st
• Gracie Fideli, Niagara, 2^nd
• Hailee Eggleston, GST Coopers, 3^rd

Extemporaneous Speech

• Emilee Kassay, Orleans, 1^st
• Duncan Metlak, Niagara, 2^nd
• Jessica Shoemaker, Orleans, 3^rd

Health Knowledge Bowl (Four-Person Teams)

• Potter, 1^st
• Coopers, 2^nd
• WEMOCO, 3^rd

Job Demo A

• Rebekka Abrams, Wayne, 1^st
• Jenna Zehler, Kenton, 2^nd
• Christina Tino, WEMOCO, 3^rd

Job Demo Open

• Dahlia Carruasquillo, EMCC, 1^st
• Sydney Crouch, GST Coopers, 2^nd
• Darnel Bishop, Harkness, 3^rd

Job Interview

• Noah Briglin, GST Wildwood, 1^st
• Winter Foss, CG May, 2^nd
• Brenna Sweeney, EMCC, 3^rd

Masonry

• Clayton Keyes, Orleans, 1^st
• Ember Brown, EMCC, 2^nd
• Dalton Smith, GST Coopers, 3^rd

Nail Technician

• Megan Ruggles, Olean, and Hailey Stout, Model, 1^st
• Maddison Murphy, Harkness, and Alexis Swearingen, Model, 2^nd
• Alyson Pero, Wayne, and Porschia Wilson, Model, 3^rd

Photography

• Jade Hansen, EMCC, 1^st
• Brooklyn Chapman, GST Wildwood, 2^nd
• Skylar Culver, Niagara, 3^rd

Power Equipment

• Ben Stilson, GST Wildwood, 1^st
• Ean MaGill, GST Wildwood, 2^nd
• Harley Chapman, GST Coopers, 3^rd

Precision Heavy Equipment

• Connor Hutches, GST Wildwood, 1^st
• Edmond Brennessel, Wayne, 2^nd
• Joel Rawleigh, GST Coopers, and Eric Wieland, Niagara, tied for 3^rd

Prepared Speech

• Gabrielle Timmerman, EMCC, 1^st
• Justin Herberger, GST Coopers, 2^nd
• Jonathan Lippert, Niagara, 3^rd

Quiz Bowl (Five-Person Teams)

• EMCC, 1^st
• WEMOCO, 2^nd
• LoGuidice, 3^rd

Related Technical Math

• Ryan Neuner, Harkness, 1^st
• Destanie Giertz, Orleans, 2^nd
• Veronica Boller, WD Ormsby, 3^rd

Restaurant Services

• Mackenzie Toponak, Niagara, 1^st
• Jacob Ciancione, WEMOCO, 2^nd
• Aydrianna Weimer, Belmont, 3^rd

Small Engines

• Nick Tarnowski, Niagara, 1^st
• Ian Becker, Niagara, 2^nd
• Trent Kenny, Niagara, 3^rd

Technical Drafting

• Gabriel Grossman, Belmont, 1^st
• Ryan Wilson, WD Ormsby, 2^nd
• Johnathan Jones, Wayne, 3^rd

T-Shirt Design

• Paige Skinner, GST Coopers, 1^st
• Ashley Sinn, GST Coopers, 2^nd
• Jaci Morgan, GST Coopers, 3^rd

TV/Video Production

• Haley Northrup and Kayla Hamilton, GST Wildwood, 1^st
• Giovanni Damiano and Christopher Materne, GST Bush, 2^nd
• Emma Valentin and Kyle Griffin, Olean, 3^rd

Welding

• Blak Pariso, GV Batavia, 1^st
• Jordan Sobolew, WEMOCO, 2^nd
• Billy Snyder, Ellicottville, 3^rd