Two Flathead High School automotive students brought home gold and bronze at the Montana SkillsUSA Leadership and Skills Conference in Great Falls. 

Cameron Seals placed first, winning a gold medal, and Cameron Moffit placed third, earning a bronze medal, in the Automotive Service Technology event. Seals’ first-place win makes him eligible to compete at the national level. Many winners also received prizes, including tools and scholarships. 

The pair were among 367 career and technical education students competing in 56 different trade, technical and leadership events. 

During the state SkillsUSA competition, students worked against the clock and each other to demonstrate their abilities in the various hands-on events such as architectural and technical drafting, criminal justice, graphic design, diesel equipment technology, gastronomic engineering, medical math, photography, welding and woods, for example. Students also had the opportunity to demonstrate leadership skills through prepared speeches. 

The competitive events were run by Montana SkillsUSA with the help of industry professionals, trade associations and labor organizations, with testing competencies set by industry standards.  

The SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference will be held June 23 through 27 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. 

The Flathead High School automotive department has planned a car show fundraiser, Crusin’ Flathead High, from noon to 4 p.m. May 10. The car show will feature custom vehicles, hot rods, “rat rods” and unfinished projects. There will be prizes, food prepared by Braves Catering and music. Cars will start being admitted at 11 a.m. The entry cost is $20 per car.  

Proceeds benefit Flathead SkillsUSA and speech and debate students to help defray the traveling costs to compete at their respective national championships. Speech and debate students are headed to Iowa for the National Speech and Debate Association tournament scheduled June 15 through 20.  

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or [email protected].