Southeast Tech Hosts South Dakota SkillsUSA Competition

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The 2019 South Dakota SkillsUSA Leadership and Skills Conference wrapped up earlier this week on the Southeast Tech campus. Students from high schools, CTE programs and post-secondary technical institutes across the state faced off in skill-specific competitions. First-place winners from select competition categories will be offered a full-ride Build Dakota scholarship and the opportunity to compete at the national level.

The conference and completion was initially scheduled for April 11-12, but postponed due to inclement weather conditions.

“We are proud to be a part of SkillsUSA’s successful partnership of students, teachers, and industry by hosting this event at Southeast Tech,” said Southeast Tech President Robert Griggs. “Today’s employment skills gap is wider than ever and South Dakota’s technical institutes, along with SkillsUSA, are working hard to address our state’s workforce needs.”

This year marks the second consecutive year that Southeast Tech has hosted the competition. The conference rotates through South Dakota’s technical institutions on a three-year rotation. Next year is Southeast Tech’s final year of hosting and is scheduled for April 16-17, 2020.

Students from the communities of Alexandria, Armour, Belle Fourche, Box Elder, Mitchell, North Sioux City, Olerichs, Pierre, Sioux Falls, Spearfish, Sturgis, Watertown and Webster participated.

Among the competition winners are:

3-D Animation, High School
Gold: Team A, Sioux Falls Career and Technical Education Academy

Architectural Drafting Post-Secondary
Gold: Grace Bultsma, Mitchell Technical Institute

Audio-Radio Production, High School
Gold: Team A, Sioux Falls Career and Technical Education Academy

Auto Maintenance & Light Repair, High School
Gold: Mason Wantoch, Mitchell Career and Technical Education Academy
Silver: Taylor Lambert, Mitchell Career and Technical Education Academy
Bronze: Masen Thompson, Mitchell Career and Technical Education Academy

Auto Refinishing Technology, High School
Gold: Keegan Novacek, Sioux Falls Career and Technical Education Academy

Auto Refinishing Technology, Post-Secondary
Gold: Andrew Brockshus, Southeast Tech
Silver: Andrew Crocker, Lake Area Technical Institute
Bronze: Taborr Ellenbecker, Southeast Tech

Auto Service Technology, High School
Gold: Matthew Koopsman, Northeast Technical High School
Silver: Jared Hildebrandt, Mitchell Career and Technical Education Academy
Bronze: Isaiah Hackrott, Sioux Falls Career and Technical Education Academy

Auto Service Technology, Post-Secondary
Gold: Joseph Scholberg Lake Area Technical Institute
Silver: Adam Nilles Western Dakota Tech
Bronze: Blake Krueger Southeast Tech

Basic Health Care Skills, High School
Gold: Haley Pedersen, Northeast Technical High School
Silver: Rebeka Huumala, Northeast Technical High School
Bronze: Reagan Deterling, Northeast Technical High School

Broadcast News Production, High School
Gold: Team A, Sioux Falls Career and Technical Education Academy
Silver: Team B, Hanson High School

Cabinetmaking, High School
Gold: Liam Fergen, Mitchell Career and Technical Education Academy
Silver: Tanner Johnson, MCTE
Bronze: Cathryn Bauer, Northeast Technical High School

Cabinetmaking, Post-Secondary
Gold: Matthew Kayser, Mitchell Technical Institute

Carpentry, High School
Gold: Ethan Whitted, Northeast Technical High School
Silver: Derek Miller, Northeast Technical High School
Bronze: Grant Wirkus, Northeast Technical High School

Carpentry, Post-Secondary
Gold: Craig Schaeffer, Mitchell Technical Institute
Silver: Gabe Long, Mitchell Technical Institute

CNC Milling Specialist, Post-Secondary
Gold: Meridith Beeber, Mitchell Technical Institute

Collision Repair Technology, High School
Gold: Corbin Schwebach, Sioux Falls Career and Technical Education Academy
Silver: Logan Bolich, Sioux Falls Career and Technical Education Academy

Collision Repair Technology, Post-Secondary
Gold: Nathaniel Krempges, Southeast Tech
Silver: Jacob Heyd, Lake Area Technical Institute
Bronze: Miguel LeivaJuarez, Southeast Tech

Commercial Baking, High School
Silver: Haley Hillberg, Northeast Technical High School

Computer Programming, Post-Secondary
Gold: Joshua Ramse, Lake Area Technical Institute
Silver: Mostafa Farahani, Lake Area Technical Institute
Bronze: Tyler Witchey, Lake Area Technical Institute

Diesel Equipment Technology, High School
Gold: Andrew Eisland, Sioux Falls Career and Technical Education Academy
Silver: Brandon Dossett, Sioux Falls Career and Technical Education Academy
Bronze: Logan Dolney, Webster High School

Diesel Equipment Technology, Post-Secondary
Gold: James Sweetwood, Southeast Tech
Silver: Austin Simpson, Lake Area Technical Institute
Bronze: Garrett Salonen, Lake Area Technical Institute

Digital Cinema Production, High School
Gold: Team B, Sioux Falls Career and Technical Education Academy
Silver: Team A, Sioux Falls Career and Technical Education Academy

Early Childhood Education, High School
Gold: Aeslin Kayser, Hanson High School

Electrical Construction Wiring, High School
Gold: Ben Kwasniewski, Webster High School
Silver: Devyn Senska-Thompson, Mitchell Career and Technical Education Academy

Electrical Construction Wiring, Post-Secondary
Gold: Samuel Brandsrud, Southeast Tech

Entrepreneurship, High School
Gold: Team A, Hanson High School

First Aid/CPR, High School
Gold: Sadie Oltmanns, Hanson High School

Health Occupations, High School
Gold: Will Kayser, Hanson High School
Silver: Payden Haiar, Hanson High School

HVAC Post-Secondary
Gold: Jordan Hurt, Mitchell Technical Institute
Silver: Ty Auske, Mitchell Technical Institute

Industrial Motor Control, Post-Secondary
Gold: Dylan Tyree, Southeast Tech

Information Technology Services, Post-Secondary
Gold: Andrew Murphy, Mitchell Technical Institute
Silver: Noah Fuller, Lake Area Technical Institute
Bronze: Steven Wallert, Lake Area Technical Institute

Internetworking, Post-Secondary
Gold: Mitchell Halling, Lake Area Technical Institute
Silver: Joseph Polzin, Lake Area Technical Institute
Bronze: Ryen Lindner, Lake Area Technical Institute

Job Interview, High School
Gold: Paige Figland, Hason High School
Silver: Andrea Thelen, Hanson High School

Job Interview, Post-Secondary
Gold: Raechel Seidel, Lake Area Technical Institute
Silver: Morgan Johnson, Lake Area Technical Institute

Masonry, High School
Gold: Colter Bartscher, Hanson High School

Mechatronics Post-Secondary
Gold: Team A, Mitchell Technical Institute

Motorcycle Service Technology, Post-Secondary
Gold: Payton Seitz, Mitchell Technical Institute
Silver: Peyton Jondahl, Mitchell Technical Institute

Pin & T-shirt Design, High School
Gold: Alana Williamson, Spearfish High School

Pin & T-shirt Design, Post-Secondary
Gold: Raechel Seidel, Lake Area Technical Institute

Plumbing, High School
Gold: Trever Wheelhouse, T.F. Riggs High School

Plumbing, Post-Secondary
Gold: Michael Grimmond, Southeast Tech

Power Equipment Technology, Post-Secondary
Gold: Allen Schaller, Mitchell Technical Institute

Prepared Speech, High School
Gold: Shaina Determan, Hanson High School

Promotional Bulletin Board, High School
Gold: Team A, Hanson High School

Quiz Bowl, Post-Secondary
Gold: Team A, Lake Area Technical Institute

Related Technical Math, High School
Gold: Cameron Paisley, Spearfish High School

Restaurant Service High School
Silver: Alyssa Geist, Hanson High School

Teamworks, High School
Gold: Team B, Northeast Technical High School
Silver: Team C, Sioux Falls Career and Technical Education Academy
Bronze: Team A, Northeast Technical High School

Teamworks, Post-Secondary
Gold: Team A, Mitchell Technical Institute
Silver: Team B, Mitchell Technical Institute
Bronze: Team C, Lake Area Technical Institute

Technical Drafting, High School
Gold: Matthew Sin, Belle Fourche High School
Silver: Richard Wagner, Dakota Valley High School
Bronze: Luke Prochello, Dakota Valley High School

Technical Drafting, Post-Secondary
Gold: Myles Ridesel, Southeast Tech

Television (video) Production, High School
Gold: Team A, Sioux Falls Career and Technical Education Academy
Silver: Team B, Sioux Falls Career and Technical Education Academy

Urban Search & Rescue, High School 
Gold: Team A, Mitchell Career and Technical Education Academy

Welding Individual, High School 
Gold: Makenzie Voss, Sioux Falls Career and Technical Education Academy
Silver: Justin Weber, Sioux Falls Career and Technical Education Academy
Bronze: Tanner Overweg, Mitchell Career and Technical Education Academy

Welding Individual, Post-Secondary
Gold: Jerhett Cattin, Western Dakota Tech
Silver: Wyatt Davidson, Western Dakota Tech
Bronze: Kaleb Bossuyt, Lake Area Technical Institute

Welding Fabrication, High School
Gold: Team A, Spearfish High School
Silver: Team B, Spearfish High School
Bronze: Team C, Sioux Falls Career and Technical Education Academy

Welding Fabrication, Post-Secondary
Gold: Team W, Western Dakota Tech
Silver: Team D, Lake Area Technical Institute
Bronze: Team A, Mitchell Technical Institute

Welding Sculpture, High School
Gold: Cameron Paisley, Spearfish High School
Silver: Milo Broderson, Spearfish High School

Welding Sculpture, Post-Secondary
Gold: Eric Mohr, Lake Area Technical Institute
Silver: Grigory Little, Lake Area Technical Institute
Bronze: Taylor Hanson, Lake Area Technical Institute

ABOUT SOUTHEAST TECH: Southeast Tech is a career-focused learning environment for determined students who expect a life-changing education that gets results. Our faculty and staff are passionate about student success, and more than 60 programs, certificates and apprenticeships provide pathways to professional accomplishment utilizing skills-relevant facilities and Sioux Falls as an extended classroom. Southeast Tech is a smart investment for students to launch their in-demand, technical careers in two years or less. Learn more about Southeast Tech at www.southeasttech.edu.

ABOUT SKILLS USA: SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry representatives working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. SkillsUSA helps each student to excel. SkillsUSA is a national organization with state chapters serving teachers and high school and college students who are preparing for careers in technical, skilled and service occupations, including health occupations and for further education. Formerly known as VICA (the Vocational Industrial Clubs of America), SkillsUSA’s mission is to empower its members to become world-class workers, leaders and responsible American citizens.