CCC SkillsUSA Teams Place First, Sixth, 12th at National Competition

July 17, 2018

Joni Ransom

The Additive Manufacturing Team from Central Community College-Hastings placed first in the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference, which was held June 25-29 in Louisville, Ky.

Adolfo Vargas and Alex KemnitzTeam members were Alex Kemnitz (right) of Grand Island and Adolfo Vargas (left) of Hastings.

Two other teams from CCC-Hastings also earned awards at the competition.

The Teamworks Team placed sixth. Team members were Pedro Nunez of Gibbon; Keenan Lienemann and Jerrod Puncochar, both of Grand Island; and Dakota Franks of Kearney.

The Automated Manufacturing Team placed 12th. Team members were DJ Criswell and Johnathan Leitschuck, both of Grand Island, and Denna Stewart of Hastings.

The CCC students earned the right to compete at the national level by placing first at the state competition in April. More than 6,000 students competed at the national conference.

SkillsUSA is a national organization that provides secondary and post-secondary students in trade, industrial, technical, technology and health occupations with leadership, citizenship and character development programs and activities.