Thirty-three Capital Region BOCES Career and Technical Education students showed their in-depth knowledge of the skilled trades and earned medals at the regional SkillsUSA competition on Monday, March 18 in Albany.
The seven first-place winners and many other medal winners earned their way to the state SkillsUSA competition in Syracuse next month.
The student competitors, who hail from school districts as far-reaching as Bethlehem and Cobleskill-Richmondville, showed expertise in areas as diverse as carpentry and commercial baking, diesel engine repair and network cabling.
They competed against more than 370 peers from Questar III and several other BOCES during a day filled with events at the Career & Technical Education Center – Albany Campus and Schenectady County Community College (SCCC), as well as the International Union of Operating Engineers training center in Glenmont.
The state SkillsUSA competition will be conducted in late-April at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse. Winners of that event will advance to the national competition in June.
“Congratulations to our scholars. They all did a fantastic job and we are very proud of them,” said Deb Toy, advisor at the SkillsUSA organization on the Capital Region BOCES Career & Technical Education Center – Albany Campus.
This year’s regional SkillsUSA medalists and prize winners, their home school district, and the competition they placed in are as follows:
First Place:
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- Kyle Dafeldecker, Building Trades, carpentry, Cobleskill-Richmondville (CRCS)
- Sadie Plant, Digital Media, advertising design, Berne-Knox-Westerlo (BKW)
- Natalie Groelly, Building Trades, carpenter’s assistant basic, Rhinebeck (Dutchess County, but attends Capital Region BOCES)
- Kaylin Haws, Culinary Arts, baking and pastry, Mohonasen
- Stephen Noradki, Diesel Tech, diesel equipment tech, Shenendehowa
- Travis Masick, Welding and Metal Fabrication, welding, Mohonasen
- Dane Fendrick, Electrical Trades, electrical wiring, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (BHBL)
Second Place:
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- T.J. Caron, Criminal Justice, criminal justice, BKW
- Justin Colindres, Digital Media Design, advertising design, Shenendehowa
- Simon Durham, Automotive Trades Technology, auto vehicle main basic, Niskayuna
- Avery Pultorak, Cosmetology, cosmetology junior, BHBL
- Genevieve Cooper, Culinary Arts, culinary arts, Shenendehowa
- Brian Barnett, Electrical Trades, electrical wiring, Guilderland
- Cody Hosgood, HVAC/R, HVAC, Voorheesville
- Deagan Makarowski, Heavy Equipment, heavy equipment, CRCS
- Madilyn Markson, Culinary Arts, food prep basic, BKW
- Isabelle Zeglen, Culinary Arts, restaurant service, Schenectady
- Connor Trudeau, Welding, welding, Cohoes
- The team of Ayumi Shaw, Middleburgh; Kailee Fletcher, Guilderland; and Wyatt Moss, Duanesburg, all Criminal Justice students who competed in crime scene investigation
Third Place:
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- Joseph Berube, Automotive Technology, auto service technology, CRCS
- Brandan Cross, Electrical Trades, electrical, Gilboa-Conesville
- Erin Fresn, Culinary Arts, baking and pastry, BHBL
- Emma Lewis, Early Childhood Education, early childhood education, Schalmont
- Conner Demania, Network Technology, employment app process, Saratoga Springs
- Ian Caterina, Two-Year Sequence of Health Careers, first aid/CPR, Scotia-Glenville
Fourth Place:
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- Axl Polec, Diesel Equipment Technology, diesel tech, Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk (RCS)
Fifth Place:
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- Sophie Chevalier, Cosmetology, cosmetology junior, BHBL
- Nicole Forbes, Digital Media Technology, job interview, Duanesburg
- Ryan Ringer, Culinary Arts, culinary arts, Cohoes
- Alexandria Weygant, Cosmetology, cosmetology senior, Middleburgh
- C.J. Palluti, Electrical Trades, electrical, Duanesburg