High schoolers compete in 29th 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 29th annual SkillsUSA Region I Leadership Conference and Skills Olympics March 6 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 24.

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:

Burgard Vocational High School (Buffalo); 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

• Kayla DeJesus, WEMOCO, 1^st
• Hannah Lucas, EMCC, 2^nd
• Maggie Jones, LoGuidice, 3rd

Advertising Design

• Madison Garrigues, GST Wildwood, 1^st
• Samantha Moore, Niagara, 2^nd
• Dylan Ector, GST Bush, 3^rd

Animal Careers

• Emily Pfalzer, Kenton, 1^st
• Arthur Ingram, Wayne, 2^nd
• Karlie Swanson, Hewes, 3^rd

Auto Body Helper

• Simon VanHoover, Wayne, and Aaron Knight, GST Wildwood, tied for 1^st
• Blake Calaman, GST Coopers, 2^nd

Auto Service

• Jacob Gittans, GST Coopers, 1^st
• Luxman Sundas, Edison, 2^nd
• Lyle Boundy, GV Batavia, 3^rd

Auto Technology

• Tyler White, WEMOCO, 1^st
• Bradley Powers, GST Wildwood, 2^nd
• Raymond Gorski, Orleans, 3^rd

Carpenter's Assistant

• Ethan Huette, GST Wildwood, 1^st
• Patrick Bohrer, GST Bush, 2^nd
• Kirt Menzi, GST Bush, 3^rd

Carpentry

• Owen Haines, Harkness, 1^st
• Evan Wood, GST Wildwood, 2^nd
• Ryan Schleef, Harkness, 3^rd

Collision Repair

• Darren Andrzejewski, WD Ormsby, 1^st
• Max Northern, Harkness, 2^nd
• Logan Windnagle, GST Coopers, 3^rd

Commercial Baking

• Alora Tulip, Niagara, 1^st
• Destiny Brumfield, WEMOCO, 2^nd
• Megan Kelly, Harkness, 3^rd

Computer Maintenance

• Hunter Button, GST Wildwood, 1^st
• Kolton Hawkins, GST Wildwood, 2^nd
• Nathaniel Carlin, GST Coopers, 3^rd

Cosmetology Jr.

• Hannah Cassoni, Ellicottville, 1^st
• Elizabeth Kowalski, GV Batavia, 2^nd
• Lindsy Cali, EMCC, 3^rd

Cosmetology Sr.

• Ghadeer Aziz, EMCC, 1^st
• Grace Palazzo, EMCC, 2^nd
• Shianna Brisson, WEMOCO, 3^rd

CPR/First Aid

• Ryan Povio, EMCC, 1^st
• Edwin Munoz, EMCC, 2^nd
• Sarah Priester, Hewes, 3^rd

Criminal Justice

• Tommy Hall, Olean, 1^st
• Chandler Heary, Orleans, 2^nd
• Nicholas Woodward, Niagara, 3^rd

Crime Scene Investigation (Three-Person Teams)

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

Culinary Arts

• Lillian Wakelam, Niagara, 1^st
• Lauren Cybul, EMCC, 2^nd
• Aurora Warchocki, WD Ormsby, 3^rd

Custom Painting

• Michelle Pellett, GST Wildwood, 1^st
• Julia Burgard, WD Ormsby, 2^nd
• Scott Bollin-Shugarts, GV Batavia, 3^rd

Diesel Mechanics

• Trevor Hulse, GST Wildwood, 1^st
• Dominic Gerardi, WD Ormsby, 2^nd
• Cheyanna Gentry, Niagara, 3^rd

Early Childhood

• Katherine Mitchell, Ellicottville, and Skyler Christopher, Orleans, tied for 1^st
• Raelyn Clark, Ellicottville, 2^nd

Electrical Construction & Wiring

• Brandon Meek, Harkness, 1^st
• Gavin Bathgate, EMCC, 2^nd
• Zack Maier, WEMOCO, 3^rd

Electronics Technology

• Benjamin Bowman, GV Batavia, 1^st
• Simon Mazur, Harkness, 2^nd
• Steven Lyness, GV Batavia, 3^rd

Employment Application

• Emalee Yacono, EMCC, 1^st
• Latavia Ward, Niagara, 2^nd
• Trinity Grist, GST Coopers, 3^rd

Esthetics

• Alexis Stratton, Orleans, 1^st
• Haley Conte, GV Batavia, 2^nd
• Skyler Cady, GST Wildwood, 3^rd

Extemporaneous Speech

• Veronica Orton, Orleans, 1^st
• Morgan Fitch, EMCC, 2^nd
• Hunter McLean, WEMOCO, 3^rd

Food Prep Assistant

• Chris Hoadley, EMCC, 1^st
• Destiny Counterman, GST Coopers, 2^nd
• Leah Clause, Niagara, 3^rd

Health Knowledge Bowl (Four-Person Teams)

• Orleans, 1^st
• Potter, 2^nd
• Niagara, 3^rd

Job Demo A

• Logan Blazejewski, Niagara, 1^st
• Taylor Fawley, Potter, 2^nd
• Abigail Smith, Hewes, 3^rd

Job Demo Open

• Danielle Kozma, Orleans, 1^st
• Skylar Hamlin, WEMOCO, 2^nd
• Lauren Quagliana, LoGuidice, 3^rd

Job Interview

• Mercedez Roy, Finger Lakes, 1^st
• Sophia Barone, EMCC, 2^nd
• RayLynn Chraston, Orleans, 3^rd

Masonry

• Garrett Delves, EMCC, 1^st
• Zachary Waters, Orleans, 2^nd
• Katarina Minichello, GST Bush, 3^rd

Nail Technician

• Karrigan Rotella, Niagara, and Jordan Tweed, Model, 1^st
• Kevin Colon, EMCC, and Lindsay Hess, Model, 2^nd
• Bailey Spence, WD Ormsby, and Rachel Greene, Model, 3^rd

Photography

• Courtney Brisky, Olean, 1^st
• Alexandra Whittall, GST Wildwood, 2^nd
• Faith Chalmers, EMCC, 3^rd

Power Equipment

• Austin Zwelling, Niagara, 1^st
• Samuel Kellogg, Ellicottville, 2^nd
• Jacob Glosser, GST Coopers, 3^rd

Precision Heavy Equipment

• Cooper Fournier, Niagara, 1^st
• Matt Smith, GST Wildwood, 2^nd
• Josh Lein, WEMOCO, 3^rd

Prepared Speech

• Jazmine Taft, GST Coopers, 1^st
• Catherine Fleischhut, Orleans, 2^nd
• Duncan Metlak, Niagara, 3^rd

Quiz Bowl (Five-Person Teams)

• GST Wildwood, 1^st
• EMCC, 2^nd
• WEMOCO, 3^rd

Related Technical Math

• Ryan Neuner, Harkness, 1^st
• Zachary Mantisi, Finger Lakes, 2^nd
• Claudia Basabakwinshi, GST Coopers, 3^rd

Restaurant Services

• Reanna Hewitt, Niagara, 1^st
• Mackenzie Toponak, Niagara, 2^nd
• Paige Bernhardt, Hewes, 3^rd

Small Engines

• Robert Wilcox, Niagara, 1^st
• Adam Wagner, Niagara, 2^nd
• Cameron Chardeen, Wayne, 3^rd

Technical Drafting

• Nick Ball, WD Ormsby, 1^st
• Leon Thompson II, Orleans, 2^nd
• Johnathan Jones, Wayne, 3^rd

T-Shirt Design

• Collin Hanrahan, GST Coopers, 1^st
• Phoenix Knapp, GST Coopers, 2^nd
• Sierra Mitchell, GST Wildwood, 3^rd

TV/Video Production

• Sage Wray and Joseph Hartigan, GST Bush, 1^st
• Troy Colvin-Wix and Dennis Pierce, GST Wildwood, 2^nd
• Eva Bobek and Jenna Harper, Harkness, 3^rd

Welding

• Adam Moroz, EMCC, 1^st
• Samuel Lammes, WEMOCO, 2^nd
• Zachery Thurston, GST Wildwood, 3^rd