KAMLOOPS – Thompson Rivers University trades and technology students won medals in every individual competition they entered at the recent post-secondary Skills Canada competitions held this week in Abbotsford.

TRU, although it was one of a total of six participating public post-secondary institutions plus a number of private training schools, and entered only eight categories, won 28 per cent of the gold at the event.

Students brought home a total of six gold and three silver medals.

“We medaled in every contest area that we entered students in,” said Cindi Thompson, TRU Skills Canada support liaison. “We just about had to rent a trailer to haul all the medals home,” she grinned.

Three Kamloops students won silver medals, including Travis Johnstone for cabinet making, Mike Ryder in plumbing, and Evan Butchart in welding.

Gold medal winners include Aaron Burwell of 100 Mile House in carpentry, Jason Feenstra of Chilliwack in electrical, Jeremy Hole of Kamloops in plumbing, Daniel Daigle of Port Alberni in electronics, Keith Stonehouse, of Barriere in automotive and Maria Skers of 100 Mile House in mechanical CAD.

Now that they’ve beat out all the provincial competition, gold medal winners will advance to the national Skills Canada competition, to be held in Halifax May 23 to 26. Gold medalists at that contest earn the right to compete with Team Canada at the World Skills Competition to be held in Japan in 2007.

For more information, please contact:
Tom Haag (TRU Carpentry) at 250-828-5119
Jeremy Hole at 250-819-0241
Daniel Daigle at 250-723-8499
Maria Skyers at 250-376-6476