At a glance
“This group of students represented the college well. It is always amazing to be part of such a large competition with high school and college students competing and showing what they can do in such a wide variety of competitions and the students always shine as strong Pioneers. I look forward to this trip every year.”
Dean Jeff Stevens
Alfred State students Tyler Hutcheson (Niagara Falls, NY) and Thomas Hnat (Buffalo, NY) earned medals at the National SkillsUSA Championship in Atlanta, GA. The pair were part of a group of seven students that represented the college.
Hutcheson won the National Championship in commercial roofing competition while Hnat finished second in the electrical construction wiring category.
This was the first year that a commercial roofing competition was held after being a demonstration contest in 2023, and Alfred State connections helped make it a reality. Bob Morgan, ’92, and his company Upstate Roofing & Painting pushed starting the competition at the state level and supported through training and materials. They also worked with the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) to make it a national competition.
Universal Builders General Contractors, Inc. from Canisteo, General Roofing of Wellsville, and Upstate Roofing & Painting helped train Hutcheson and other ASC students for competition and provided judges.
Five other Pioneers who had won a state championship earlier in the school year competed at Nationals, two of which scored in the top 10 with the others ranking strong in the national championship.
- Matthew Giardini (Allegany, NY – carpentry) finished 9th.
- Olivia Padula (New York City, NY – masonry) finished 9th.
- Elijah Clement (Cazenovia, NY - automotive service)
- Jared George (Portville, NY – welding)
- Landon Spoonhower (Berkshire, NY - automotive refinishing)
Dean of the School of Applied Technology Jeffrey Stevens was proud of the Alfred State team. “This group of students represented the college well. It is always amazing to be part of such a large competition with high school and college students competing and showing what they can do in such a wide variety of competitions and the students always shine as strong Pioneers. I look forward to this trip every year.”
Stevens joined the seven students along with Vice President for Economic Development and SkillsUSA New York State Director Dr. Craig Clark and Electrical Assistant Professor Todd McDowell.
6,500 students competed in 110 occupational and leadership skill areas.
Dr Clark was also recognized at Nationals for his 25 years as New York State Postsecondary Director.
