Following a weekend of events, education and experiences, the Columbus High School SkillsUSA team will be sending eight to the National Competition in May.

"We couldn't be prouder of our students in both the way they competed and the way they conducted themselves at state," CHS SkillsUSA coach Ben Loeffelholz said. "They've earned their successes."

SkillsUSA Nebraska State Leadership and Skills Championships was April 9th - 11th at the Heartland Events Center & Fonner Park in Grand Island.

CHS sent 25 competitors for 31 events. The Discoverers took first place in three events, all teams: Mechatronics, Cyber Security and Chapter Display.

Chapter President and senior Ace Dewine said the pressure was on for him and his mechatronics teammate, Corbin McCullough.

"We have won the last 12 or 13 years in mechatronics," Dewine said before the competition. "I really want to keep that going and succeed."

Winners receive an invitation to the National Leadership & Skills Conference in Atlanta. Teams and individuals who placed second or third, with qualifying scores, serve as replacements for winners who are unable to attend the national event.

Columbus High will have eight representatives during the June 1st - 5th event.

Dewine, the senior, said that win or lose these skills and his time with the group has already shaped his career.

"When I was in 5th grade, I already knew what I wanted to do: mechanical engineering. The first year I competed in computer aided drafting, another segment of (mechanical engineering)," he said. "So because of joining, I've learned more skills than I would have if I didn't."

Along with the participants, a delegation of CMS students and Destination Imagination members came to Grand Island to not only support the Discoverers, but to gain first-hand experiences of what SkillsUSA can offer them.

"The welding, that was very cool. And the sheds," Jazmine, a CMS 7th grader said about the best parts of the morning. For Jazmine, though, her interests are in a different career. "When they did the presentation at the middle school, I remember they mentioned something with law (Criminal Justice). That's what I want to go in to."

Seventh-grader, Zooey, took to the culinary arts. "They cook," she said. "I want to go in there and I just want to do everything they're doing. It was so cool." Zooey doesn't have a signature recipe yet, she loves everything with lemon. "It's trending right now, kind of everywhere."

While those choices, flavors included, will be narrowed down before Zooey and Jazmine start competing, SkillsUSA will continue to provide all students with opportunities to hone and highlight their abilities and enjoy their interests.

"It's really for everyone," Loeffelholz said. "If there's a job or a set of skills you'll need in a career, you can usually find a place to compete. We're always looking for more students, in more segments."

Many of the categories include skills from the more familiar construction, automotive and manufacturing sectors. But Loeffelholz points to some that may come as a surprise. Those include the aforementioned Culinary Arts and Restaurant Service to the diverse Advertising, Cosmetology and Crime Scene Investigation.

"This year we sent two to compete in the First-Aid/CPR fields," Loeffelholz said. "Given our career path here (at CHS) and students' interests, the number in healthcare competitions could be growing. We'd loved to see it."

Medalists:

• 1st Place - Mechatronics* - team of Ace Dewine and Corbin McCullough
• 1st - Cyber Security* - team of Caleb Kitt and Maverick Rains
• 1st - Chapter Display* - team of Taley Dittmar, Benjamin Wall, Emiliano Pedraza-Castillo
• 2nd - First Aid/CPR* - Kalista Hoesing
• 2nd - Technical Drafting - Noah Edwards
• 3rd - Additive Manufacturing - team of Joseph Kallhoff and Lee Jackson

*Attending Nationals

All CHS SkillsUSA State Competitors:

Ace Dewine, Corbin McCullough, Maverick Rains, Aria Johnson, Joey Kallhoff, Thomas Larson, Caleb Kitt, Noah Edwards, Kalista Hoesing, Natasha Lawyranto, Benjamin Wall, Guadalupe Pedraza-Castillo, Emiliano Pedraza, Kendal Heidemann, Tristan Hoesing, Selena Martinez, Betcy Gomez, Lee Jackson, Charley Kalhoff, Taley Dittmar, Sydney Miller, Weston Jefferies, Rogelio Martinez, Izeja Johnson and Ashley De La Cruz-Martin.