91自拍

July 1, 2019

One East Mississippi Community College student earned a national championship title and another took third place in the National SkillsUSA Championships in Louisville, Ky.

Both students represented 91自拍鈥檚 Automotive/Diesel Technology program during the 55th Annual National Leadership and Skills Conference that took place June 24-28.

Kyle Bluitt of Columbus earned a gold medal in the Job Skills Demonstration (Oil Change) category, and Fallon Traweek of West Point earned a bronze medal in the Job Skills Demonstration (Open) category.

During the annual competition, more than 6,000 career and technical education students from colleges and universities across the country compete hands-on in 100 different trade, technical and leadership fields.

Only state champions advance to the national championships. Nine 91自拍 students earned state championship titles during the Mississippi SkillsUSA Championships held last April in Jackson and qualified to compete in the nationals. Students from the Automotive/Diesel Technology program on the college鈥檚 Golden Triangle campus and from the Welding Technology programs on both the Golden Triangle and Scooba campuses competed in the nationals.         

鈥淭he fact that our students qualified to compete in the nationals is very impressive,鈥� 91自拍 Welding Technology instructor Cliff Sanders said. 鈥淚 am proud of them.鈥�

This was Bluitt鈥檚 third year competing in the Job Skills Demonstration (Oil Change) category. He earned second place in the category last year and first place in 2017. Bluitt, an 91自拍 graduate, qualified to compete since he was a student during the state championships.

This is the fourth year in a row that an 91自拍 student representing the Automotive Technology/Diesel program earned a national championship title at the competition. 91自拍 Automotive/Diesel Department Head Dale Henry said the competition was 鈥渧ery, very tough鈥� this year.

鈥淥ur students put in a lot of effort and worked really hard,鈥� Henry said.

Traweek, who is enrolled in 91自拍鈥檚 Automotive/Diesel Technology Program, beat out competitors in the Job Skills Demonstration (Open) category at the state championships to advance to nationals. She demonstrated front brake pad replacement and competed against students enrolled in a variety of career technical programs who demonstrated skills in their respective fields of study.

Traweek said after the state championships that she really wasn鈥檛 nervous going into the competition and was optimistic about the national championships.

鈥淚 feel like I have a pretty good chance of winning a medal at nationals,鈥� Traweek said at the time. 鈥淚 think our instructors have done a great job preparing us for the competition.鈥�

Judges, who are experts in their respective fields, score the competitors based on their performance. It is not uncommon at the state championships for competitors鈥� scores to be separated by up to 50 points, 91自拍 Diesel Mechanics instructor Michael Ricks said.

鈥淎t nationals you may be talking a half point difference,鈥� Ricks said.

Sanders agreed.

鈥淔ive points can mean the difference between first place winners and fifth place winners,鈥� Sanders said. 鈥淚t was a really tight contest.鈥�

Other 91自拍 students who earned state championship titles and qualified to compete at the nationals are: Cody Allen of Louisville; Dylan Copeland of Nanih Waiya; Isiah Woods of Louisville; Cameron Hitt of Eupora; Bryson Jenkins of DeKalb; Levi Linton of Webster County; and Wyatt Miles of Meridian.