Career and Technical Education Students Excel in Competition

MEXICO – Several Outdoor Power Equipment Technology students at the Center for Instruction, Technology and Innovation showed their skills strength during the recent New York State Conservation Competition.

The five Career and Technical Education students competed in the event at Paul Smiths College and brought home 12 top 10 ribbons, including: Alyssa Stopa’s second place in compass and pace, Nick Betts’ second place in tree felling (using a simulator), Matt Bornheimer’s fourth place in chainsaw cut and Tyler Seoane’s and Bornheimer’s fourth place in peavey log roll.

The conservation competition is designed for vocational students enrolled in conservation and forestry classes.

Each year, the competition rotates between four colleges: Paul Smith’s, SUNY Morrisville, Finger Lakes Community College and SUNY Cobleskill.

This year, more than 350 students from 16 schools competed in nearly 30 different events, including: (simulated) tree felling, fire building, pulpwood throw, chainsaw cutting, tree climbing, land surveying, log scaling, axe throwing and peavey log rolling.

Equipment contests included use of log skidders, skid steers, backhoes, bulldozers and bow saws.

For the tree felling competition, students used a chainsaw to make cuts in a tree stump, to simulate those that would be used in dropping a tree. All other events that took place were authentic.

For their efforts, CiTi students were awarded several ribbons, medals or trophies.

Results include: Nick Betts (Central Square Central School District), second place tree felling; Matt Bornheimer (Oswego City School District), fourth place chainsaw cut and fifth place log scaling; Alyssa Stopa (Central Square Central School District), second place compass and pace; and Dan Mullen Jr. (Mexico Academy and Central School District), fourth place compass and pace.

Additional results are: Nick Betts and Alyssa Stopa, seventh place in the Jack & Jill log roll; Matt Bornheimer and Tyler Seoane (Central Square Central School District), fourth place peavey log roll; Tyler Seoane, ninth place male bow saw; Alyssa Stopa, fifth place female bow saw; and Nick Betts and Dan Mullen, Jr., ninth place fire building.

CiTi students also were awarded scholarships, including: $7,500 from Ohio Technical College and $1,000 from Paul Smith’s College to Nick Betts and $1,000 from Ohio Technical College and $1,000 from Paul Smith’s College to Alyssa Stopa. Ohio Technical College also awarded $1,000 each to Mullen, Bornheimer and Seoane.

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