The American Boat & Yacht Council, in partnership with the Coast Guard, Yamaha, Suzuki, Mercury, Honda and the National Marine Electronics Association, participated in and judged the Marine Service Technology competition during the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference, held June 1-5 in Atlanta.
“This year’s national competition was the best since ABYC reengaged with SkillsUSA,” Dave Broadbent, ABYC senior director of business development, said in a statement. “I can’t thank our partners enough for their support of such an important event for our industry.”
Six students from Georgia, Texas, Pennsylvania, Florida, South Dakota and Minnesota earned top honors in the competition, which included individual hands-on lab stations and a written exam. In total, 27 competitors from nearly 20 states competed in high school and college/postsecondary divisions.
Here are the SkillsUSA National winners in Marine Service Technology, high school division:
- Gold James Reynolds, Hart County High School, Hartwell, Ga.
- Silver Garrett Reeves, Hollenstein Career and Technology Center, Fort Worth, Texas
- Bronze Cole Stefano, Bethlehem AVTS, Bethlehem, Pa.
In the college/postsecondary division the winners are:
- Gold Colin Colbert, Pinellas Technical College — Clearwater, Fla.
- Silver Blaine Simantel, Mitchell Technical College, Mitchell, S.D.
- Bronze Aiden Bauch, Alexandria Technical & Community College, Alexandria, Minn.
The SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference recognizes the nation’s top career and technical education students, with more than 7,000 participants competing in 115 contests across skilled trades, manufacturing, transportation, health care, hospitality and more.
