LLCC Students Qualify for SkillsUSA Competition

Thirty-eight students from Lincoln Land Community College have qualified to compete in the 2026 Illinois SkillsUSA Competition after earning high scores during the SkillsUSA Regional Competition held in February.

The regional competition highlighted students’ technical knowledge and hands-on abilities in several skilled trade areas, including automotive service technology, diesel equipment technology, heating, ventilation and air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR), culinary arts, and baking and pastry arts.

SkillsUSA is a national organization focused on preparing students for careers in skilled trades and technical professions. The organization’s competitions place students in real-world scenarios where they are judged by industry professionals on their technical ability, problem-solving skills, and understanding of industry standards. Students who perform well at regional events advance to state-level competition.

Students advancing in Automotive Service Technology include Carson Franz of Lincoln, Ben Gaul of Springfield, Austin Grace of Gillespie, Kenden Longwell of Litchfield, Ryan Petcher of Hillsboro, Peyton Waite of Auburn, and Isaac Zenk of Chatham.

Two students qualified in Baking and Pastry Arts: Isabella Lang of Sherman and Benjamin Wubker of Beardstown.

Students qualifying in Culinary Arts are Brandon Rude of Rochester and Holly Stock of Sherman.

A large group of students qualified in Diesel Equipment Technology, including James Adkins of Franklin, Wyatt Arnberger of Sherman, KJ Beck of Arenzville, Jason Boyd of Frankford, Missouri, Kolton Buckles of Mechanicsburg, Ayden Clark of Springfield, Zachary Golden of Easton, Doug Harbour of Springfield, Logan Hollo of Hillsboro, Tristan Kindred of Pontiac, Avery Lamb of Greenfield, Alan Lauterbach of Springfield, Nathan Neuhaus of Staunton, Brittney Slagel of Cropsey, Kade Spurlock of Rochester, Will Stambaugh of Beason, Kyle Stinde of Centralia, Colt Stremsterfer of Pleasant Plains, Daniel Welchel of Lincoln, and Gavin Zoerner of Chatham.

Students who qualified in Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration include A.J. Lanctot of Springfield, Tamara Rahman of Rochester, and Landon Shipp of Jacksonville.

Several students also qualified in the Heavy Equipment Operator category. Those students include James Adkins of Franklin, Wyatt Arnberger of Sherman, Jason Boyd of Frankford, Missouri, Logan Hollo of Hillsboro, Tristan Kindred of Pontiac, Anthony Kopec of Troy, Nathan Neuhaus of Staunton, Jaiden Simmerman of New Salem, Will Stambaugh of Beason, Kyle Stinde of Centralia, Emerson Weber of Flanagan, and Daniel Welchel of Lincoln.

Students who qualified in more than one competition category were recognized with multiple placements during the regional competition.

The students will compete at the Illinois SkillsUSA State Conference in Peoria in April. Those who perform well at the state competition may advance to the National SkillsUSA Championships, which will be held in June in Atlanta, Georgia.

Lincoln Land Community College’s Workforce Institute offers a range of career training programs designed to prepare students for employment in high-demand technical fields. More information about the college’s workforce training programs can be found at the college’s website.