WDTC placed in 12 competitions, earned 11 gold medals, and swept medals in four events - Architectural Drafting, Automotive Service, Diesel Equipment Technology, and Heating, Ventilation, AC & Refrigeration. WDTC students competed against fellow students from Lake Area Technical College, Mitchell Technical College, and Southeast Technical College. WDTC SkillsUSA SD Skills Championship medal winners are as follows:
Architectural Drafting: Gold – Careen Smith, Silver - Spencer Anderson; Bronze – Shalie Weaver; Automotive Service: Gold – Micah Kooiman, Silver – Caine Svarstat, Bronze: Caden Parnow; Cyber Security: (WDTC only team competing.) Gold – Thomas DeJong & Kalob Seal; Diesel Equipment Technology: Gold – Nick Krebs, Silver: Jace Klempel, Bronze – Carlos Gonzales; Heating, Ventilation, AC & Refrigeration (HVAC-R) – Gold – Raulie Rojas, Silver – Richard Long, Bronze – Dawson Craig; Information Technology Services: Gold – Austin Evans; Silver – Lance McNeese; Internetworking: (WDTC only competitors.) Gold – Thomas DeJong, Silver – Danielle Garland; Plumbing: Gold – Alex Hamaker; Bronze – Greg Hamblin; Related Technical Math – (WDTC only entrant.) Gold: Austin Evans; Technical Drafting: (WDTC only competitors.) Gold – Jeremy Lewis; Silver: Zane Austin; Welding Individual: Silver – Lex Zuniga; Welding Team Fabrication: Gold – Team W - Cale Benson, Dylan Buechler, and Jaxon Tabert ; Silver: Team R - Braevry Davis, Adam Patton, and Tanner Brunskill.
SkillsUSA SD competition gold medal winners qualify to compete in the national SkillsUSA Championships, June 19-23, in Atlanta, Ga.
More photos available at https://www.facebook.com/westerndakotatech/.
PHOTO CUTLINE:
WDTC swept medals in four SkillsUSA SD Competition categories. The categories, students, and the medals earned are as follows:
- Upper left: Architectural Drafting - Silver - Spencer Anderson, Gold - Careen Smith, Bronze - Shaelie Weaver.
- Upper right: Automotive Service - Silver - Caine Svarstat, Gold - Micah Kooiman, Bronze - Caden Parnow.
- Lower left: Diesel Equipment Technology - Gold - Nick Krebs, Silver - Jayce Klempel, Bronze - Carlos Gonzalez.
- Lower right: HVAC-R - Gold - Raulie Rojas, Silver - Richard Long, and Bronze - Dawson Craig.
About Western Dakota Technical College
Western Dakota Technical College (WDTC) was established in 1968 and is the only technical college serving the western South Dakota region.
WDTC offers programs in a variety of fields, including Business and Computers, Construction and Manufacturing, Energy and Environmental Technologies, Health Sciences, Legal and Public Services, and Transportation Technologies.
Ninety-nine percent of Western Dakota Tech's most recent graduates are working, continuing their education, or are enlisted in the military, per the WDTC 2021 Placement Report. There were 326 respondents out of 380 graduates surveyed. [*Placement information is derived from graduate surveys, faculty-collected data, placement surveys started six months after graduation, and the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation. Overall placement rate is figured by: (responding graduates employed, continuing education, or in military service)/(responding graduates who are seeking employment). The number of program graduates are unduplicated by CIP code.]
Western Dakota Technical College faculty, staff, and administration focus their efforts on helping students gain the skills and experiences they need to succeed. Through hands-on learning, internships, and industry partnerships, Western Dakota Tech students graduate ready to make a real and immediate contribution to their employers and to their communities.
For information about WDTC, call (800) 544-8765 or (605) 718-2565 or send an email to Admissions@wdt.edu. Visit us on the web at wdt.edu.
