Lehigh Career & Technical Insitute students earned 45 top-three finishes last week (Wednesday, Feb. 2) during the SkillsUSA District 11 Championships at Allentown’s Agri-Plex.

The annual competition pitted LCTI students against their peers from Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School, Career Institute of Technology, Monroe Career & Technical Institute and Upper Bucks County Technical School in more than 50 contests of skill ranging from advertising design to welding.

Sponsored by local businesses, the championships are an opportunity for students from the region’s high schools to apply what they’ve learned in school to challenging scenarios that mimic the demands of a 21st-century workplace. They also serve to expose the larger Lehigh Valley community to the value of career and technical education.

LCTI students walked away from the daylong competition with 12 first-place, 19 second-place and 14 third-place finishes. Each of the first-place finishers secured a berth at this spring’s SkillsUSA Pennsylvania State Leadership Conference in Hershey. SkillsUSA Council Executive Director Andy Hammer announced the championship award winners Monday (Feb. 7, 2022) during a virtual ceremony.

LCTI’s top-three finishers are:

William Allen High School

Joshua Trotter, 2nd: Health Knowledge Bowl (Team of 4)
Health & Medical Sciences

Louis E. Dieruff High School

Mia Espinal Abreu, 2nd: Health Knowledge Bowl (Team of 4)
Health & Medical Sciences

Talitha Moody, 3rd: Basic Health Care
Health & Medical Sciences

Catasauqua High School

Paolo Demaria, 1st: Electronics Technology
Electronics Technology/Nanofabrication

Emmaus High School

Ryan Gaughan, 1st: Graphic Communications
Print Technology/Graphic Imaging

Kayra Hanchard, 2nd: Health Knowledge Bowl (Team of 4)
Health & Medical Sciences

Christopher MacDonald, 1st: Commercial Baking
Commercial Baking

Cody Pfleiger, 1st: CNC Milling Specialist
Precision Machine Tool Technology

Logan Roth, 2nd: Diesel Equipment Technology
Diesel Medium & Heavy Truck Technology

Michael Schmaldinst, 1st: Collision Repair Technology
Auto Collision Repair Technology

Home School

Noah Ford, 3rd: Carpentry
Carpentry

Malachi Martin, 3rd: Automated Manufacturing (Team of 3)
Pre-Engineering & Engineering Technology

Northern Lehigh High School

Brayden Arnold, 2nd: Motorcycle Service Technology
Small Engines/Recreational Vehicle Repair

Brooke Delancey, 2nd: Crime Scene Investigation (Team of 3)
Criminal Justice

Ty Moffitt, 2nd: CNC Technician
Precision Machine Tool Technology

Alexander Neas, 2nd: CNC Turning Specialist
Precision Machine Tool Technology

Robert Schramel, 3rd: Welding
Welding Technology

Ethan Smith, 2nd: Welding
Welding Technology

Brayden Tocci, 2nd: Medical Math
Health & Medical Sciences

Northwestern Lehigh High School

Catherine Plaska, 3rd: Nurse Assisting
Health & Medical Sciences

Brian Riggins, 3rd: Automated Manufacturing (Team of 3)
Auto Technology

Michael Shook, 3rd: Automotive Service Technology
Auto Technology

Parkland High School

Nicholas Borsevich, 3rd: TeamWorks (Team of 4)
Masonry

Logan Eisenhauer, 1st: Masonry
Masonry

Jeffrey Fink, 3rd: Criminal Justice
Criminal Justice

Jonas Geiger, 3rd: TeamWorks (Team of 4)
Carpentry

Peyton Knowles, 2nd: Plumbing
Plumbing & Heating

Sophia Lapenta, 2nd: Advertising Design
Advertising Design/Commercial Art

Ian Lawlor, 2nd: Job Skill Demonstration A
Plumbing & Heating

Brooke Mason, 2nd: Nurse Assisting
Health & Medical Sciences

Ainsley Mattox, 2nd: Crime Scene Investigation (Team of 3)
Criminal Justice

Orion Naydyhor, 3rd: TeamWorks (Team of 4)
Plumbing & Heating

Nate Rodriguez, 3rd: Automated Manufacturing (Team of 3)
Precision Machine Tool Technology

Jael Romain, 1st: Culinary Arts
Culinary Arts

Aaron Rosato, 1st: Prepared Speech
Culinary Arts

Salisbury Township High School

Jacob Aungst, 1st: Power
Small Engines/Recreational Vehicle Repair Technology

Mason Schuler, 3rd: TeamWorks (Team of 4)
Electrical Technology

Southern Lehigh High School

Brielle Angney, 2nd: Health Knowledge Bowl (Team of 4)
Health & Medical Sciences

Andrew Dean, 3rd: Diesel Equipment Technology
Diesel Medium & Heavy Truck Technology

Mya Fritchman, 1st: Related Technical Math
Engineering Drafting & Design

Kayla Myers, 2nd: Commercial Baking
Commercial Baking

Cody Warstler, 2nd: Crime Scene Investigation (Team of 3)
Criminal Justice

Whitehall High School

Thomas Hornberger, 1st: HVACR
Heating/Air Conditioning & Refrigeration

Soraya Jiminez, 2nd: Graphic Communications
Print Technology/Graphic Imaging

Trang Phung, 1st: Industrial Motor Control
Electromechanical/Mechatronics Technology

Congratulations to LCTI’s 12 state qualifiers and their teachers! Also, kudos to everyone who competed in the District 11 competition.

SkillsUSA is one of seven career and technical student organizations at LCTI. Heating/Air Conditioning 7 Refrigeration teacher Kevin Keeler, Health & Medical Sciences teacher Heather Mariotti, Engineering Drafting & Design teacher Christopher Ruben, school counselor Cory Schnaufer and Precision Machine Toll Technology teacher Aaron Schock serve as chapter advisors.