Tennessee Valley students dominate SkillsUSA Championships

ATLANTA – North Alabama students have skills!

And it was proven recently in the SkillsUSA Championships in Atlanta.

Of the 17 skills categories won by Alabama students, 15 were won by North Alabama college and high school students.

The championships are career competition events showcasing the best career and technical education students in the nation. Contests begin locally and continue through the state and national levels.

Through an investment from business and industry partners of approximately $36 million, the event occupies a space equivalent to 31 football fields or 41 acres.

In 2022, there were almost 5,200 contestants in 108 separate events. Nearly 2,000 judges and contest organizers from labor and management make the national event possible.

The philosophy of the championships is to reward students for excellence, to involve industry in directly evaluating student performance and to keep training relevant to employers’ needs.

North Alabama high school medalists

• Job Skill Demonstration A
  Gold medal: Thomas Best of Limestone Career Technology Center
• Masonry
  Gold medal: Brice Mayes of Dekalb County Technology Center
• Action Skills
  Silver medal: Ally Banks of Cullman Area Technology Academy
• Automated Manufacturing Technology
  Gold medal: Team Z – Daniel Olinger, Madison Short, Jadyn Johnson of Earnest Pruett Center of Technology in Hollywood

North Alabama college medalists

• Automated Manufacturing Technology
  Bronze medal: Team B – Johnson Sellnow, Brennan Perry, Caleb Sharpe of Wallace State College-Hanceville
• CNC 3-Axis Milling Programmer
  Silver medal: Ty Whitson of Calhoun Community College
• Commercial sUAS Drone
  Gold medal: Team A – Landon Holmes, Avery Hollis of Wallace State College-Hanceville
• Criminal Justice
  Gold medal: Ashley Hardin of Wallace State College-Hanceville
• Customer Service
  Gold medal: Kayla Hamilton of Northwest Shoals Community College
• Esthetics
  Silver medal: Macy Duncan of JF Drake State Community & Technical College
• Health Occupations Professional Portfolio
  Bronze medal: Benjamin Lucas of Calhoun Community College
• Medical Math
  Silver medal: Matthew Holcomb of Northeast Alabama Community College
• Mobile Robotics Technology
  Silver medal: Team A – Devin Hollis, Isaac Daniel of Wallace State College-Hanceville
• Robotics and Automation Technology
  Silver medal: Team E – Riggs Hunt, Landin Jones of Calhoun Community College
• Robotics: Urban Search and Rescue
  Gold medal: Team B – Joseph McCay, Christopher Hosey of Wallace State College-Hanceville