Media contact: Angela Try
SPRINGFIELD — Thirty-eight Lincoln Land Community College students qualified for the 2026 Illinois SkillsUSA Competition after earning high scores during the SkillsUSA Regional Competition held in February.
The regional competition showcased the expertise of students competing in automotive and diesel technologies, HVACR, culinary arts, and baking and pastry arts.
SkillsUSA, a national organization dedicated to preparing students for success in skilled careers, provides hands-on competitions that test industry knowledge, problem-solving abilities and technical skills. Participants compete in real-world scenarios judged by industry professionals, with top performers advancing to the state-level competition.
The following LLCC students will be moving on to the SkillsUSA state competition. Students who qualified in more than one category are marked with an asterisk (*).
Automative Service Technology: Carson Franz, Lincoln; Ben Gaul, Springfield; Austin Grace, Gillespie; Kenden Longwell, Litchfield; Ryan Petcher, Hillsboro; Peyton Waite, Auburn; Isaac Zenk, Chatham
Baking and Pastry Arts: Isabella Lang, Sherman; Benjamin Wubker, Beardstown
Culinary Arts: Brandon Rude, Rochester; Holly Stock, Sherman
Diesel Equipment Technology: James Adkins*, Franklin; Wyatt Arnberger*, Sherman; KJ Beck, Arenzville; Jason Boyd*, Frankford, Mo.; Kolton Buckles, Mechanicsburg; Ayden Clark, Springfield; Zachary Golden, Easton; Doug Harbour, Springfield; Logan Hollo*, Hillsboro; Tristan Kindred*, Pontiac; Avery Lamb, Greenfield; Alan Lauterbach, Springfield; Nathan Neuhaus*, Saunton; Brittney Slagel, Cropsey; Kade Spurlock, Rochester; Will Stambaugh*, Beason; Kyle Stinde*, Centralia; Colt Stremsterfer, Pleasant Plains; Daniel Welchel*, Lincoln; Gavin Zoerner, Chatham
Heating, Ventilation, A/C and Refrigeration (HVACR): A.J. Lanctot, Springfield; Tamara Rahman, Rochester; Landon Shipp, Jacksonville
Heavy Equipment Operator: James Adkins*, Franklin; Wyatt Arnberger*, Sherman; Jason Boyd*, Frankford, Mo.; Logan Hollo*, Hillsboro; Tristan Kindred*, Pontiac; Anthony Kopec, Troy; Nathan Neuhaus*, Staunton; Jaiden Simmerman, New Salem; Will Stambaugh*, Beason; Kyle Stinde*, Centralia; Emerson Weber, Flanagan; Daniel Welchel*, Lincoln
Students competing at the Illinois SkillsUSA State Conference in Peoria in April have the opportunity to qualify for the National SkillsUSA Championships to be held in Atlanta, Ga., in June.
To learn more about career training at LLCC’s Workforce Institute, visit www.llcc.edu/workforce.