WEMOCO Career and Technical Education students traveled to SUNY Alfred on March 8 for the SkillsUSA Area 1 Regional Conference, showcased their skills and many returned with honors. (Photos are in slideshow below.)
Two BOCES 2 teams rose to the top of the region. In the Health Knowledge Bowl competition, a four-person team comprised of all Nurse Assisting and Associated Health Careers seniors placed first: (Photo: left to right) Riley Gardner (Brockport), Molly Hong (Gates Chili), Kirsstin Althoff (Holley), and Meranda Lott-Douglass (Greece Olympia). For the Crime Scene Investigation team competition, three Criminal Justice seniors combined for the win: (Photo: left to right) Nicholas Otto (Hilton), Samantha Kulzer (Spencerport), and Sanya Costello (Greece Arcadia).
Teams weren’t the only BOCES 2 entrants to win the top prize as two individual titles were also won by WEMOCO students. Auto Body and Collision Repair Technology senior Jack Swanson (Churchville-Chili) garnered first place in Collision Repair Technology and Dental Assisting junior Ryliane Murch (Brockport) took home first place in Prepared Speech.
Three WEMOCO students were second-place finishers: Medical Laboratory Assisting and Phlebotomy junior Brianna Cullen (Churchville-Chili) placed second in Action Skills, Culinary Arts junior Meg Cranmer (Spencerport) in Culinary Arts and Food Services senior Jeremy Sovereign (Churchville-Chili) in Food Preparation Assistant.
Two third-place titles were also earned by BOCES 2 students, bring the total of top-three finishes to nine. Auto Body and Collision Repair Technology senior Xander Barrett (Gates Chili) finished third in Auto Body Helper and Heavy Equipment Operation and Maintenance senior Isaac Stroup (Brockport) was third place in Precision Heavy Equipment.
Just outside the podium were four WEMOCO students: for Advertising Design, Digital and Visual Communication junior Katherine Zerrillo (Churchville-Chili); for Auto Service, Automotive Technology junior Calogero Scott (Wheatland-Chili); for Commercial Baking, Baking junior Gavin Lockridge (Greece Arcadia); and for Restaurant Services, Culinary Arts junior John Farley (Hilton).
Additionally, Ryan Frank, a Holley junior in HVAC/Plumbing, was elected as the Area 1 vice president.
Regional competitors and additional SkillsUSA members now look forward to the New York SkillsUSA competition that will take place at the end of April.