Media contact: Angela Try

SPRINGFIELD — Lincoln Land Community College students Daniel Welchel, of Lincoln, and Tamara Rahman, of Rochester, took home gold medals in their respective categories at the 2026 Illinois SkillsUSA Championship held April 24-26 in Peoria. The wins qualify the students to compete at the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference to be held in Atlanta, Ga., June 1-5, 2026.

Welchel won gold in the heavy equipment operator category. Competitors rotated between six different stations and were evaluated on challenges and tasks including knowledge of equipment operation, day-to-day maintenance and activities, such as surveying and blueprint reading, on various machines. The competition included a mock employment interview.

Rahman won gold in heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR). Competitors rotated through testing stations designed to assess their skills and knowledge in brazing, refrigerant component service, air measurement and troubleshooting, refrigerant recovery and electrical troubleshooting. The competition included a written exam.

Welchel and Rahman were two of 35 LLCC students competing at the state level. LLCC students competed in six categories: automotive service technology, baking and pastry arts, culinary arts, diesel equipment technology, HVACR and heavy equipment operator. Isabella Lang, of Auburn, won silver; and Benjamin Wubker, of Beardstown, won bronze in baking and pastry arts. Brandon Rude, of Rochester, won bronze in culinary arts. Landon Shipp, of Jacksonville, won silver in HVACR.

To learn more about career training at LLCC’s Workforce Institute, visit www.llcc.edu/workforce.