Two Oconto Falls High School juniors earned gold medals at the state SkillsUSA competition April 29-30, and Oconto Falls swept the podium in two events.
According to John Bursa, OFHS tech ed instructor and SkillsUSA adviser, it was the first time OFHS students swept any event since the school started competing in 2001.
OFHS took the top three awards in masonry, with Travis Schmechel winning the gold medal, junior Kyle Sharboneau, silver, and junior Brandon Kamm, bronze.
Oconto Falls also swept the podium in sheet metal. Of the 16 competitors, the top three were from Oconto Falls. Junior Jake Lubenske earned gold, sophomore Mariah Vorpahl won silver, and sophomore Amber Lubenske, Jake’s sister, won bronze.
“It is especially nice to show everyone that female students can be successful in a trade,” Bursa said.
With the win, Jake Lubenske earned a return trip to the SkillsUSA national conference. He placed 16th in the nation in 2012 as a freshman, competing in the sheet metal competition.
The 50th annual National Leadership and Skills Conference, a showcase of career and technical education students, will take place from June 23-27 in Kansas City, Mo.
Lubenske said he’s more experienced this time around.
“It’s not my first year dealing with the sheet metal any more,” he said.
He said he practices every opportunity he can, because it’s not a skill he’s developing in class every day. Lubenske is enrolled in three tech ed courses this year, computer aided machining, introduction to engineering design and drafting, and is enrolled in this summer’s building construction class.
Lubenske said the secret at the state contest was to create the best looking bends and transitions in the sheet metal, beginning with a square, then a twisted transition to another square.
“This time it was more appearance than difficulty,” he said.
He received the blueprint for the project the day before the competition, spent over an hour on the layout and design, then three hours on fabrication.
Joining Lubenske at the national contest will be Sharboneau, who qualified when Schmechel decided not to compete at nationals. Sharboneau learned masonry in his building construction class and built a 2- by 4-foot rectangular brick structure at the state contest.
“I just kept checking my level over and over, trying to keep everything clean and neat,” he said, describing the contest.
Sharboneau has taken cabinetmaking and building construction classes at the school and has enrolled in building construction for his senior year, also.
“Mr. (David) Heisel has taught us a lot in that class,” he said.
OFHS sent one senior and 10 underclassmen to the state SkillsUSA contest. Seven students earned medals for their top-three finishes, including junior Sam Konitzer, who won a silver medal in technical drafting.
Other competitors were junior Nate Birr, seventh place, power equipment tech; senior Mercedes Ondik, sixth place, cabinetmaking; junior Jacob Larson, fifth place, power equipment tech; and junior Jacob Lotter, fifth place, carpentry.
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