Merrill students compete in SkillsUSA district contest, Graap takes second place

Five Merrill High School students competed in the SkillsUSA district competition held Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, at Northcentral Technical College in Wausau.
Students represented the school in five different competition categories. Adalyn Blake competed in Related Technical Math, while Miah Graap participated in Facilities Management. Jack Taylor competed in Welding, and Matthew Woller and Colton Gregor formed a team for the Team Engineering Problem Solving competition.
Graap took second place in her Facilithon (Facilities Management) competition.
SkillsUSA is a student-run organization that builds students into leaders through career and technical education competitions in a diverse range of categories.
“Traditionally SkillsUSA, formerly known as VICA, has revolved around more of the traditional industrial arts competitions,” said Jordan Kratz, SkillsUSA advisor at Merrill High School. “Now we have competitions like Facilities Management, Urban Search and Rescue, which is a robotics competition, Drone flight and programming competitions, Barbering, Cosmetology, and Culinary Arts to name a few. The traditional competitions like Carpentry, Welding, Machining and Cabinetmaking, are still incredibly popular.”

Merrill has a long history with SkillsUSA. Pete McConnell previously ran the program at the school, and the advisor position has changed hands several times over the years.
Kratz described the organization’s appeal through a sports analogy.
“If you enjoy competing in basketball, you play basketball. If you enjoy competing in bowling, you bowl. Same thing with SkillsUSA. If you’re good at welding, you join SkillsUSA to weld against 100+ high schools from across the state,” Kratz said.
The organization partners with industry professionals to provide students with real-world experience and career opportunities.
“I’ve seen students get internships right there on the competition floor. They didn’t know their competition judge was the CEO of a large trucking company,” Kratz said.
According to Kratz, the organization serves students pursuing any career path.
“The mission of SkillsUSA is to empower students to become skilled professionals, career-ready leaders, and responsible community members,” Kratz said.