Delta hosted a preliminary SkillsUSA competition on Jan. 28.
SkillsUSA is a national skill organization that serves more than 320,000 high school and college students along with professional members who are enrolled in technical and skilled training programs.
This year’s contest awarded 12 Delta students with eight gold medals, three silver and one bronze.
The Delta event was the first level of competition to send students on to a June national conference in Kansas City.
The event marked the third year in a row Delta College competed. Around 500 students in that time have competed in the hands-on skill and leadership contests.
“It went really well,” said Alex Taddei, Delta college welding instructor,. “There were twice as many competitiors in welding.”
There were 13 new catagories including welding, machine drafting and internet networking.
Delta students won three gold medals in automated manufacturing technology, a gold in technical drafting, a gold in MIG welding, a gold, silver and bronze in internetworking, a gold and silver in combo welding and SMAW welding.
These wins allow the students to compete in the state SkillsUSA competition in San Diego on April 4.
Students advancing from the San Diego competition will compete in the national championship.
“I’m ready to compete on a larger scale,” said Jeremey Sctott, welding gold medalist.
The SkillsUSA Championship showcases the best career and technical students in the nation.
Delta has seen success in the past year with the SkillsUSA competitions, winning six gold medals at the state competition and a national championship in 2012.
SKILLSUSA WINNERS
Automated Manufacturing Technology
Gold: Luis Herrera, Brandon Vollmer, Matthew Richardson
Internetworking
Gold: James Donkin III
Silver: James Morgan
Bronze: Russell Mathews
Technical Drafting
Gold: Christopher Martin
Welding – Combo
Gold: Damien Galabis
Silver: Daniel Lopez
Welding – MIG
Gold: Jeremy Scott
Welding – SMAW
Gold: Todd Vandrimmelen
Silver: Jose Canez
