Medalists Crowned at SkillsUSA State Competition
Medalists Crowned at SkillsUSA State Competition
Nearly 40 Erie 1 BOCES SkillsUSA students put their talents on display at the State Fairgrounds in Syracuse from April 22-24, competing in the New York State SkillsUSA Leadership and Skills Championships.
Erie 1 BOCES had a successful week of competition, with six students taking home medals representing all four Career and Technical Education (CTE) Centers.
Alex Barry, a senior from Lackawanna, won first place in Carpenter’s Assistant Basic, his second straight year taking home the gold medal in the competition. Barry is enrolled in Mr. Grieco’s Building Trades class at the Potter CTE Center.
Ethan Pinto, a senior at Clarence High School, earned a silver medal in Industrial Motor Control. This is Pinto’s second medal of the year, after taking second place at the regional competition for Electrical Construction Wiring. Pinto is a member of Mr. Merlino’s Electrical Systems class at the Harkness CTE Center.
Katie Matson won a bronze medal in Employment Application Procedure. The Frontier senior takes Early Childhood Education with Ms. Lubs at the Potter CTE Center.
Grand Island’s Eden Fancher earned third place in the Cosmetology competition for juniors. She is a member of Ms. Blackman’s Cosmetology program at the Kenton CTE Center.
Finally, the team of Muhsin Munassar, a Lackawanna senior, and Aidan Muffoletto, an Amherst senior, took third place in Web Design and Development. The two students take Ms. Rohloff’s Web Technologies and Game Programming class at the Calspan CTE Center.
All of the SkillsUSA students impressed in Syracuse, displaying career-readiness skills such as teamwork, communication, professionalism, and leadership.
“I’m incredibly proud of the dedication our SkillsUSA students demonstrated at the state championships,” said Associate Director of Career and Technical Education Simone Klubek. "Their hard work and preparation were on full display, as well as the professionalism they demonstrated while representing Erie 1 BOCES among peers from across New York. Congratulations to all of our participants and to our advisors for helping make this week such a success.”
To learn more about SkillsUSA, where students hone their hands-on skills against current industry standards in more than 100 occupational areas, from 3D Animation to Welding and nearly everything in between, visit their website at skillsusa.org.
2026 Erie 1 BOCES SkillsUSA State Medalists
1st Place- Alex Barry (Potter/Lackawanna)- Carpenter’s Assistant Basic (Mr. David Grieco/Building Trades)
2nd Place- Ethan Pinto (Harkness/Clarence)- Industrial Motor Control (Mr. Garth Merlino/Electrical Systems)
3rd Place- Katie Matson (Potter/Frontier)- Employment Application Procedure (Ms. Jaime Lubs/Early Childhood Education)
3rd Place- Eden Fancher (Kenton/Grand Island)- Cosmetology, Junior (Ms. Tracie Blackman/Cosmetology)
3rd Place- Muhsin Munassar (Calspan/Lackawanna) & Aidan Muffoletto (Calspan/Amherst)- Web Design and Development (Ms. Linda Rohloff/Web Technologies and Game Programming)