On Feb. 1 at Agri-Plex in Allentown, more than 400 students competed in 54 hands-on skill and leadership competitions. This Showcase of Skills provided a unique opportunity to observe some of the most talented career and technical education students in the area.

District gold medal winners advance to state and potentially national competitions. This year, the SkillsUSA Council partnered with postsecondary educational institutions and area businesses to award more than $167,000 in scholarships and prizes to the medalists of eight competitions.

Following the competition, students and their families gathered at Parkland High School to hear the results of the day’s competitions and, for the winners, to receive their medals. The energy level was high as the students celebrated a great day of competition.

Gold medal winners will represent District 11 at the state competition in Hershey in April.

Contestants were from the following area career and technical schools:

Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School (BAVTS)

Career Institute of Technology (CIT)

Colonial Academy (CA)

Lehigh Career & Technical Institute (LCTI)

Monroe Career & Technical Institute (MCTI)

Upper Bucks County Technical School (UBCTS)

BAVTS winners from Northampton Area School District are:

FIRST PLACE

Genna Wetzel, graphic communications

Tyrus Bahrman, industrial motor control

SECOND PLACE

Paige Hoff, culinary arts

Vince Rossi, electrical construction wiring

Justin Dean, firefighting

Kolton Mast, precision machining technology

THIRD PLACE

Ali Laurent, advertising design

Anthony Fronti, CNC milling specialist

Samuel Costenbader, electronics technology

Austin Kern, first aid/CPR

Gabrielle Kowalchuk, job skill demonstration open