Education
MTECH competitors showcase skills, earn 30 medals across Utah
Jennifer Thomas | Lehi Free Press
MTECH students in Lehi captured 30 medals at the 2026 Utah SkillsUSA competition.
Students secured 11 gold, 11 silver, and eight bronze medals—a record for MTECH. The competition featured the state’s best high school and college talent, tested in practical, technical challenges. SkillsUSA was held March 26-27 at sites across the state, including MTECH Lehi, Bridgerland, Ogden-Weber, and Salt Lake Community College.
The SkillsUSA Statewide Competition is a premier annual event where career and technical education students demonstrate skills in industry-judged contests. Regional winners compete for state championships, with top finishers advancing to the National Leadership & Skills Conference.
“SkillsUSA competitions are created with industry experts to reflect current workforce expectations. Technical standards and scoring rubrics are developed and reviewed by professionals in each field,” said Maile Richardson, Senior Director of Communications at MTECH. “Students compete in events connected to their MTECH program, applying their training in a real-world, competitive setting.”
“Many competitions also require interviews or client interactions, so students must show professionalism, communication, and customer service,” added Richardson.
MTECH students reached milestones this year, earning the college’s first gold in Barbering and a medal in Welding—one of the competition’s most competitive categories,” said Richardson.
MTECH instructors play a key role in preparing students for competition.
“MTECH prepares students for SkillsUSA by building both technical and soft skills. Each competitor is assigned a skills advisor, usually their instructor, who helps them refine skills for weeks before the competition. Advisors are key to student success,” said Richardson.
Both high school and adult MTECH students competed in their categories. Winners from MTECH in Lehi included the following competitors.
Gold Winners
STUDENT NAME , COMPETITION , COMP. CATEGORY
Sydine Paice , Culinary Arts, High School
Amelia Kennicott, Nail Care, High School
Charlotte Westwood, Esthetics, Adult
Keslee Bagley, Barbering, High School
Skyler Farrell, Industrial Motor, Controls Adult
Fenix Taylor and Mercedes Allen
(competed as a team) Mechatronics, High School
Ryan Stradling, CNC Programmer, Adult
Christopher Dixon, CNC 2-Axis Turning Programmer, Adult
Matthew Morris, CNC 3-Axis Milling Programmer, Adult
Logan Perkins, HVAC-R, Adult
Jack Petersen, HVAC-R, High School
Silver Winners
STUDENT NAMES , COMPETITION , COMP. CATEGORY
Haley Osborne, Culinary Arts, Adult
Caleb Meade, Restaurante Service, High School
Alexis Glenn, Nail Care, Adult
Anthony Ramirez, Welding, Adult
Brandon Hernandez and Josua Jardine
(competed as a team) Mechatronics, Adult
Devon Stulce, CNC Programmer, Adult
Joshua Spencer, CNC 2-Axis Turning Programmer, Adult
Berkely Stulce, CNC 3-Axis Milling Programmer, Adult
Dillan Schweinler, Plumbing, Adult
Andrew Richards, HVAC-R, Adult
Liam Cutler, HVAC-R, High School
Bronze Winners
STUDENT NAME, COMPETITION, COMP. CATEGORY
Melissa Bercerra, Baking and Pastry Arts, Adult
Anne Arce, Baking and Pastry Arts, Adult
Abby Wahlquist, Cosmetology, Adult
Paige Terranova, Nail Care, High School
Derick Brinkerhoff, CNC Programmer, Adult
Maxwell Hewett, CNC 3-Axis Milling Programmer, Adult
Alec Dressler, Electrical Construction Wiring, Adult
Jared Stokes, HVAC-R, Adult
The Gold-winning students can compete at the national level. The national competition will take place in June in Atlanta, Georgia.
“We’re incredibly proud of how our students represented MTECH at this year’s competition,” said Richardson, his voice reflecting the pride of the entire team. “Watching their skills recognized in such an exciting arena fills us with genuine joy and gratitude. Their wins truly affirm how meaningful and life-changing MTECH’s training can be.”
These achievements show students’ dedication and MTECH’s commitment to high-quality, career-focused education.
Career and technical education are central to MTECH’s mission of enhancing employability through hands-on, industry-driven training. Participating in SkillsUSA directly supports this goal by allowing students to apply their learning in a real-world, performance-based environment,” said Richardson.
“These students represent the best of technical education,” said Clay Christensen, President of Mountainland Technical College. “We’re proud of their SkillsUSA accomplishments. Their success shows their determination, quality instruction, and strong MTECH support.”
Richardson concluded, “We’re proud to be part of Lehi and to see our students achieve at this level. It’s exciting to watch them represent the city.”
