Montana State University-Northern hosted the Montana SkillsUSA Competition, formerly known as VICA or Vocational Industrial Clubs of America.
April 4-6, more than 400 secondary and post-secondary students from 30 schools around the state arrived in Havre to compete in 37 different contests. Competitions were held in categories like architectural drafting, welding, diesel technology, automotive technology, public speaking, and technical computing. Students also enjoyed activities including a dance and an engine blow-up contest.
SkillsUSA is a national organization with 250,000 members across the country that promotes leadership abilities in high school and college students through educational, vocational, civic and social activities. State competition winners from Montana will be eligible to compete at the National SkillsUSA Competition in Kansas City, Mo., in June.
Area winners who placed in the top three in each category were:
Chapter business procedure, secondary (high school) contest: second, Team 1, Blue Sky High School; third, Team 2, Blue Sky High School, Rudyard
Carpentry: second, Philip Kuhr, Havre High School
SkillsUSA-VICA Quiz Bowl, postsecondary: first, MSU- Northern
SkillsUSA-VICA Quiz Bowl, secondary: first, Good Triers, Blue Sky High School; third, Fighting Alpacas, Chester High School
Diesel equipment technology, postsecondary: first, Cole Lowder, MSU-N; second, Cody Blanchard, MSU-N; third, Eric Powers, MSU-N
Collision repair technology, postsecondary: first, Bobby Vanek, MSU-N; second, Veronica Standley, MSU-N
Automotive service technology, postsecondary: first, Nick Johnson, MSU-N; second, Chris Blanchard, MSU-N; third, Corey Hautzinger, MSU-N
Combination welding, postsecondary: first, Mason Tobiason, MSU-N; second, Levi Watson, MSU-N
Technology computer application, secondary: second, Brice Fenger, Chester High School; third, Kile Patrick, Blue Sky High School
Job skill demo, postsecondary: first, Joel Stuker, MSU-N
Extemporaneous speaking, postsecondary: first, Kelly Paul
Extemporaneous speaking, secondary: first, Caleb Brown, Chester High School
Cabinet making, secondary: first, Alex Chvilicek, Blue Sky High School; second, Tyler Moss, Blue Sky High School
Job interview, postsecondary: first, Corey Hautzinger, MSU-N; second, Chris Brewer, MSU-N; third, Travis Velk, MSU-N
Prepared speech, secondary: second, Jasmine Mikulecky, Blue Sky High School
Technical drafting option 1 (board and CADD), postsecondary: first, Travis Velk, MSU-N; second, Megan Cail, MSU-N
Architectural drafting option 1, postsecondary: first, Ryan Grabinski, MSU-N
