Four high school students from Capital Region BOCES brought home gold this weekend at the New York State Thruway Cup welding competition.

Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center seniors Wyatt Strobeck, Trista Smi, Jonathan King and Owen VanVranken combined their skills to defeat the best high school welders from across the state during the May 1 and 2 event at the Albany (CTE) Campus.

Strobeck, from Middleburgh, and Smi, from Berne-Knox-Westerlo (BKW). also brought home individual trophies with Strobeck claiming gold or silver in all three individual welding competitions and Smi earning bronze in one competition.

“Our students excelled today and really showed the skills they have,” said teacher Don Mattoon. ”I couldn’t be prouder of them for the hard work and dedication they showed.”

Sponsored by the American Welding Society (AWS), the event pitted the top high school welders from the Syracuse, Buffalo, Northern New York (including the Capital Region) and Rochester regions. 

“Wh t sets this competition apart is that students must compete all day using three different welding processes. Their work is evaluated according to AWS D1.1 and D1.2 industry codes. It really pushes them to the limits of their ability and gives them a clearer picture of what a career in welding looks like. It also gives young individuals an opportunity to network with industry professionals and peers across New York state,” Mattoon said.

It is the second consecutive year a Capital Region BOCES team has won the Thruway Cup and it’s the second consecutive weekend Strobeck has won gold in a welding competition. On April 24, the Middleburgh teen bested more than two-dozen other high school welders to win gold in the New York State SkillsUSA competition and advance to the national competition in June in Atlanta.

“It means a lot to compete against the best from around the state and be able to do so well,” Strobeck said following the May 2 event.

Smi said she enjoyed the competition and seeing other welders from around the state.

“This competition shows me how hard I have to work and the responsibility I have to take to do well in the industry,” the BKW teen said.

King, from Shenendehowa, and VanVrankan, from Bethlehem, said they enjoyed competing against the best in New York state.

“It’s pretty cool to see other kids who have the same interests as you,” VanVrankan said.

“It’s a blessing to be here to experience all of this,” King added.

According to competition rules, the winning chapter is required to host the event the following year, so in 2027, the Northern New York Chapter (Albany) will not only go for a three-peat in defending its title, but also welcome welding students from across the state to Capital Region BOCES once again.