The Estevan Comprehensive School (ECS) had a showing at the Skills Canada provincial competition in Saskatoon on April 12.
Twenty students from ECS travelled to the provincial event, and they won 11 medals: five gold, five silver and one bronze.
The gold medallists were Levi Stepp in architectural computer-assisted design and drafting (CADD), Dalton Schrader in welding, Jon Swirski in mechanical CADD, Ashley Tedford in beauty therapy and Avery McNabb in hairstyling.
Silver medals were won by Morgan Lowenburg in architectural CADD, Jarius Block in cabinet making, Hunter Wallster in precision machining, Caitlin Graham in hairstyling and Tamika Bodnarek in hairstyling braiding.
The lone bronze medal was won by Kalen Stang in outdoor power, which involves small engines.
The other students who competed were Rowan Pryor in mechanical CADD, Parker Lavoie in public speaking, Zill Patel in hairstyling braiding, Megan Wilson and Lenae Mehler in hairstyling bridal, Joseph Limin and Kailey Kowalchuk in photography, and Dann Pangan and Harvey Leal in television and video production.
Joyce Mack, who is the instructor for the hairstyling disciplines, was impressed with the efforts of all of the students.
“We haven’t had somebody in cabinet making for a long, long time, and we haven’t placed in welding in that type of position for a long time as well,” said Mack.
The amount of work needed to prepare for provincials varies, depending on the coaches and the tests.
“They would have probably started after final exams for the first semester, and worked on it more heavily for the past few weeks,” Mack said.
Nationals will be held in Halifax later this spring. Mack said it’s not yet known which students will be competing at nationals.
“They have a few changes made, so we were told at awards they’re going to contact everybody to let them know what level they’re going to be moved on … and how they’re going to do that,” said Mack.
There were also changes in the scoring for provincials for this year.
Mack noted there isn’t a national competition for beauty therapy, but the other four would normally have the opportunity to advance. They hope to be going to nationals, but if they do, they will have to work hard to be ready for the competition, where the scopes are tougher and the level of entries will be even more difficult.
