Riverland fares well at SkillsUSA conference
Published 5:00 pm Saturday, April 23, 2011

Minnesota SkillsUSA State Director Jen Polz presents Tom Wilker, Riverland Carpentry Technology instructor and SkillsUSA Austin chapter advisor, with the 2011 Minnesota SkillsUSA Advisor of the Year award. - Photo provided
Several Riverland Community College SkillsUSA club members captured gold, silver and bronze medals at the 2011 SkillsUSA state Leadership and Skills conference in March at the Sheraton Hotel in Bloomington.
The competitions focused on technical skill demonstration where students competed with more than 540 college students from 25 campuses in 54 events.
Riverland Carpentry Technology instructor Tom Wilker was named 2011 Advisor of the Year for his work advising the Austin chapter.
Four Riverland students captured gold medals, which means they move to the national SkillsUSA contest in June.
Students involved in SkillsUSA participate in leadership and skills competitions at local, state and national levels where they build and reinforce technical skills, self-confidence, work attitudes and communications skills.
The contests were held in the following nine career and technical education cluster areas: arts and communication; construction; health services; legal and protective services; hospitality; human services, manufacturing; science, engineering and technology; and transportation.
Riverland’s SkillsUSA awards:
Health Occupational Professional Portfolio
Gold Medal: Tara Moen (Minneota), Austin campus
Extemporaneous Speaking
Gold Medal: Samuel Wipplinger (Kiester), Albert Lea campus
Trade Math
Gold Medal: Dean Pecinovsky (Grand Meadow), Albert Lea campus
Medical Terminology
Gold Medal: Robyn Elwood (Rochester), Austin campus
Silver Medal: Haylee Ollendieck (Lime Springs), Austin campus
T-Shirt Design
Silver Medal: Haylee Ollendieck (Lime Springs), Austin campus
Safety
Silver Medal: Andrew Peterson (Racine), Austin campus
Bronze Medal: Travis Cunningham (Austin), Austin campus
Mechatronics
Bronze Medal: Dean Pecinovsky (Grand Meadow) and Shane Roisen (Albert Lea), Albert Lea campus
Automotive Refinishing Technology
Bronze Medal: Mike Holten (Austin), Austin campus
Honorable Mention: Vadym Bezkrovnyi (Austin), Austin campus
Construction Blueprint Reading
Bronze Medal: Rachel Knopps (Blue Earth), Austin campus
Chapter Display
Bronze Medal: Austin campus
Diesel Equipment Technology
Honorable Mention: Bryan Croce (Minnesota Lake), Albert Lea campus