PLATTEVILLE, April 15 — Two Platteville High School students will be going to the national SkillsUSA competition in Atlanta in early June.
Tyler Sasse and Alex Williams won the SkillsUSA state title in the Commercial sUAS Drones category in Madison last week.
Williams also finished first in the Woodworking up to $50 category, a state level-only category that does not advance to the national competition.
The first two state SkillsUSA titles in PHS history capped off a day that included a third-place team finish.
“I’m incredibly proud of how our students represented our school and community,” said PHS technology teacher Josh Taber, the SkillsUSA advisor. “Their success is a direct reflection of the hard work, dedication, and professionalism they’ve demonstrated throughout the year.
“This year’s results are especially meaningful for our program. Since establishing our SkillsUSA chapter in 2022, this is the first time our students have earned gold medals at the state level. It marks an important milestone and reflects the growth of our program and the commitment our students have made to developing their skills.
“Our Commercial sUAS (drone) team earning gold and qualifying for nationals in Atlanta is an outstanding achievement and speaks to the growing importance of emerging technologies in career and technical education. In addition, earning gold in Woodworking Display and a bronze medal in the TeamWorks competition highlights the wide range of skills our students are developing — from precision craftsmanship to teamwork and problem-solving in construction scenarios.”
Evan Johnson, Mazim Plumb, Myron Reuter and Marshal Rooney finished third in Teamworks as a construction team, with Rooney the general contractor, Plumb in masonry, Reuter in plumbing and Johnson in electrical.
Henry Stange also competed in Related Technical Math.
“What stands out most is not just the medals, but the way our students conducted themselves,” said Taber. “They showed leadership, resilience, and a commitment to excellence that makes me extremely proud as an advisor and educator.
“SkillsUSA provides students with real-world opportunities to apply their skills, and these results show that our students are more than prepared for future careers in the skilled trades and technical fields. We’re excited to support our national qualifiers as they prepare to represent our school and the state of Wisconsin on a larger stage in June.”
The national SkillsUSA competition will be in Atlanta June 1–5.
Other Southwest Wisconsin SkillsUSA students who placed include Anniken Jacobson of River Valley Middle School, second in 3D Printing and Design; Brayden Coyier of Mineral Point High School, third in Architectural Drafting; Tatum McCoy and Kim Cooke of Richland Center High School, second and third respectively in Baking & Pastry Arts; Cheyenne Alfred, Addyson Durst, Wyatt Heibel and Makena Moyer of Barneveld High School, first in team entrepreneurship; Nssh Haack, Logan Oyen, Allie Riley and Arwen Valcheff of Barneveld High School, second in team entrepreneurship; Ramsey Schulting of Barneveld Middle School, third in Job Interview; Annalee Luna of Barneveld Middle School, first in Job Skill Demonstration Open; Nolan Baryenbruch of Barneveld High School, second in Medical Math; Ronica Thousand of Mineral Point High School, third in Prepared Speech; Izabel Durst, Hannah Esch and Erin Lasse, Barneveld High School, second in Team Promotional Bulletin Board; Austin Carstensen, River Valley High School, third in Welding; Parker Carden of Barneveld High School, gold in Welding Sculpture; Charlie Ford of River Valley High School, second in Welding Sculpture; and Riley Sennhenn of Mineral Point High School, third in Woodworking Display to $50.
Students from Dodgeville, New Glarus and Wauzeka–Steuben also participated.
Wisconsin SkillsUSA, founded in 1973, added 14 new chapters in the 2024–25 school year, bringing the total to 166 high school and middle school Wisconsin secondary chapters. A partnership of students, teachers, and industry representatives working together to ensure America has the skilled workforce needed to stay competitive, the SkillsUSA diverse talent pipeline covers more than 110 trades, technical, and skilled service occupations, mostly related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
More than 200 corporations, trade associations, businesses, and labor unions support Wisconsin SkillsUSA. Programs are integrated into career and technical education through a framework of personal, workplace, and technical skills grounded in academics. SkillsUSA also offers technical skill assessments and other workplace credentials.
