Eight Meridian Community College students studying in the Industrial Technology Division were first place winners in the state SkillsUSA competition held recently in Jackson.

As first place winners, they are eligible to advance to national competition in Louisville, Ky., in June. At the SkillsUSA championships more than 6,000 students compete in 100 occupational and leadership skill areas each June.

Winning first place in Team Building division were Dylan Reeves, Dylan Shirley, both of Meridian; Dee Harris of Carthage and Trevion Johnson of York, Ala. Other first place winners were Kody Cullum of Toomsuba for Electrical Construction Wiring; Rodney Robinson of Meridian for Cabinetry; Hunter Smith of Clarke County first for CNC Milling; and Beau Corella of Meridian for CNC Turning.

Justin Crowson of Quitman won second for Sheet Metal.

Third place winners were Henry Hall of Newton for Carpentry; Jacob Wade, Dennis Lenoir and Max Dickerson, all of Meridian, for Welding Fab and Dante Block of Meridian for Welding. Jarod Agent of Philadelphia competed in the Welding Sculpture division.

Electrical Technology Program Coordinator and a SkillsUSA advisor Jim Miles said this year’s competition yielded high scores. The Teamworks group posted a 980 out of 1,000; CNC Milling posted a 992 out of a 1,000; CNC posted a 995 out of a 1,000; Cabinetry posted 660 out of 850 and Electrical posted a 782.5 out of 850.

SkillsUSA offers local, state and national programs that allow students to develop and demonstrate personal, workplace and technical skills. These three components comprise the organizational framework for SkillsUSA, which serves as a blueprint for career readiness.