TCD teens are named Skills USA champions

For the 11th time in 12 years, a two-person team of multimedia students from Technology Center of DuPage in Addison came home state champions.

Technology Center teams competed in the Illinois Skills USA Championships last month in Springfield against more than 1,000 participants from 49 high school career and technical education programs around the state.

Lauren Flinner of Wheaton and Benjamin Hooson of Carol Stream -- both second-year students at the Addison school -- placed first in three team contests: Video Product Development, Creative Video Production and Television Production.

Next month, Flinner and Hooson will compete in the National Skills USA Championship in Kansas City, Mo. Flinner is a senior from Wheaton Warrenville South High School and Hooson a senior from Glenbard North.

Technology Center of DuPage is the career and technical education campus for DuPage high school juniors and seniors. Thirty-five members of its Skills USA chapter competed at the Skills USA state championships; 25 placed among the top 10 in their divisions. Here's how they ranked:

Video Product Development teams: Lauren Flinner of Wheaton and Benjamin Hooson of Carol Stream, first place; Cassandra Callender of Roselle and Paul Yost of Medinah, second place.

Creative Video Production teams: Lauren Flinner of Wheaton and Ben Hooson of Carol Stream, first place; Timothy Bergeron of Hinsdale and Faizan Hussain of Burr Ridge, third.

Television Production teams: Lauren Flinner of Wheaton and Ben Hooson of Carol Stream, first place; Cassandra Callender of Roselle and Paul Yost of Medinah, third; Hazel Kennerley of West Chicago and Gyl Ponce of Indian Head Park, fourth; Timothy Bergeron of Hinsdale and Faizan Hussain of Burr Ridge, fifth.

Carpentry: Brian Rice of Downers Grove, second place; Jonathan Hoover of Wheaton, third.

Cosmetology: Christy Faber of Wheaton, second place; Sarai Alegria of Glendale Heights (model), second; Jacqueline Borello of Glen Ellyn, third; Renee Dingraudo of Lombard (model), third.

Commercial Baking: Chris Perchatsch of Naperville, second place; Kaley Florio of Naperville, fourth; Jessica Dougherty of Wood Dale, seventh.

Automotive Service Technology: Christopher Rowland of Burr Ridge, second place; Charles Glassford of Lisle, eighth.

Graphic Communications: Kathy Kwasniewski of Woodridge, second place.

Culinary Arts: Douglas Belgio of Naperville, third place; Michael Elliott of Glen Ellyn, fifth; Dan Moody of Carol Stream, ninth.

Precision Machining Technology: Michael Aleman of Warrenville, eighth.

Collision Repair: Richard Dykstra of Warrenville, ninth.