MOSES LAKE - Moses Lake knows hair and three Moses Lake High School students proved it at a statewide cosmetology competition.

Junior Briann Gonzales, senior Janessa Reyes and sophomore Daniela Lino earned third, second and first place, respectively, in the state SkillsUSA held at Blades on Broadway Institute of Hair Design in Moses Lake.

It was the first year the competition was in Moses Lake, said Christine Armstrong, director of vocational programs at the high school.

"It's great, because here we have a state competition and we have people coming from all over the state and Moses Lake takes first, second and third? That's pretty phenomenal," she said.

Lino was nervous at first, but enjoyed herself by the end of the competition.

"I was really proud of myself and I learned that if I really put a lot of effort into it I can do anything," she said.

Reyes was also nervous, but was surprised by how much she learned in the competition.

"It was really fun and it was a really good experience for me," she said.

Gonzales surprised herself with the creativity she displayed during the competition.

"I learned a lot," she said. "I learned what my mistakes were, what I could work on more, what I was best in ... It was great. I loved it."

The high school does not have a cosmetology instruction facility, said Armstrong. The school contracts with Blades on Broadway and Char-Glo School of Beauty to provide instruction to students. The curriculum is based on the state licensing exam, she added.

Blades on Broadway instructor Angela Acres taught Reyes and Lino. Char-Glo instructor Blanca Barragan taught Gonzales.

SkillsUSA is a partnership of teachers, students and industry members working to prepare students for careers through vocational education.

Students used mannequins to demonstrate "skills in haircutting, hair styling and long hair design in four separate tests," according to the organization's website.