MITES, which stands for Michigan Industrial Technology Education Society, is an annual statewide competition bringing regional award winners to compete for state honors at the Lansing Convention Center.
TKHS Engineering teacher Scott Meyers said he had 86 projects in the regional competition with a record 66 advancing to the state competition. The state honors included five first-place honors and one divisional honor meaning it was the best project in its Division. That project was prepared by Jacob Swiderski.
Other first place winners were Garrett Forbes and Daniel Beyer with two first-place projects. Two other students, Hope Vander Heide and Lizzy Middleton, also received first place in their division in the first-ever live CAD competition.
“The kids were really interested in working on these projects this year,” said Meyers. “They haven’t had this opportunity for the last two years and I think they were just excited to work on them.”
Meyers said he has two junior students who are already working at Bradford White after school in their CAD/Engineering area. “It’s a great opportunity for them,” he said.
Matt Melvin teaches the wood projects, sending 18 projects to the state MITES contest with Madelyn Labelle bringing home a first-place prize for her bow. Many students work throughout the year on their projects.
Woodworking students with state projects and state honors are:
Madelyn Labelle: 1st
Hunter Pitsch: 4th
Bryce Cooper: 4th
Devin Jenkins: 10th
Group Project: Jacob Crowder and Mike Smith: 4th
Group Project: Alivia Raak, Grace Zube, and Hope Vander Heide: 2nd
Group Project: Hayden Chatman and Grant Middleton: 2nd
Group Project: Caiden Strait and Juan Aguiar: 3rd
Honorable Mention: Adam Gunnink, Lukas Linkfield, Ashton Nichols, Savannah Rehfeldt, Mason Cross, Hayden Chatman, Skylyr Davis-Dunn, Kenny Simon
Engineering Projects Earning State Awards
Architectural Drawing
Sara Willshire: 9th
Emma Burton: 10th
Clayton Sines: 8th
Carson Woods: 10th
Danny Sanders: 9th
Emma Burton: 6th
Adam Phillips: 5th
Clayton Sines: 8th
Morgan Chapin: 7th
Ainsley Parsons: 2nd
Ainsley Parsons: 4th
Jacob Swiderski: 4th
Honorable Mention: Adam Phillips, Sara Willshire, Morgan Chapin, Seth Bainbridge, Danny Sanders, Seth Bainbridge, Carson Woods, Landon Ritsema, Morgan Chapin
Mechanical Drawing
Benjamin Hanson: 3rd
Hunter Rehfeldt: 2nd
Daniel Beyer: 1st
Hope Vander Heide: 3rd
Hope Vander Heide: 3rd
Jaymes Thorne: 8th
Carson Woods: 3rd
Daniel Beyer: 1st
Jaymes Thorne: 8th
Daniel Beyer: 7th
Anna Davis: 10th
Lizzy Middleton: 2nd
Carson Woods: 8th
Conner Gleason-Stephens: 7th
Hope Vander Heide: 3rd
Anna Davis: 4th
Grant Woods: 6th
Jacob Swiderski: 2nd
Hunter Pitsch: 5th
Daniel Beyer: 3rd
Logan Westcott: 4th
Daniel Beyer: 2nd
Hunter Rehfeldt: 10th
Daniel Beyer: 8th
Jacob Swiderski: 1st and District Champion
Honorable Mention: Killian Dudley, Alejandro Rodas, Conner Gleason-Stephens, Elijah Webster, Hunter Rehfeldt, Hope Vander Heide, Logan Westcott, Hope Vander Heide, Jack Geukes, Jacob Swiderski, Conner Gleason-Stephens, Benjamin Hanson, Conner Gleason-Stephens, Anna Davis.
Open Division
Garrett Forbes: 1st
Garrett Forbes: 2nd
Jack Geukes: 3rd