M State student Cole Riegert is a SkillsUSA Minnesota State Championships two-time consecutive gold medalist after taking first place in this year’s Diesel Equipment Technology competition. He also won first place in that same competition last year.
“To win two years in a row is almost unheard of,” says Jim Bainer, Riegert’s diesel instructor at M State. “It’s hard to win it once, let alone twice. This is the hardest, most prestigious competition in the field.”
Riegert hails from Beltrami, Minn., and is a second-year student in M State’s Diesel Equipment Technology program.
He was one of seven M State diesel students who competed at this year’s state championships. Ryan Lohse, Dennis Spaeth, Jared Sommerfeld, Kaeleb Torrey and Zach Vosburg competed in the college division, while James Bergren, a student at Lake Park Audubon High School who attends M State through the PSEO program (Post-Secondary Enrollment Options), competed in the high school division and took third place.
The 2024 SkillsUSA Minnesota State Championships were held on April 13, with the event’s many different trade, technical and leadership competitions held at various locations around the Twin Cities metro area.
RDO Equipment in Dayton, Minn., hosted the diesel competition, an all-day event that brought together 48 individual competitors from all over the state. Challenged to complete hands-on activities at 13 different stations, they worked against the clock and each other to prove their expertise.
For his first-place performance, Riegert was awarded over $5,000 in prizes and the opportunity to compete at the National SkillsUSA Competition in Atlanta at the end of June. He took sixth place at nationals in 2023 and is well-positioned for another strong performance in 2024.
“It’s an amazing experience to compete and be part of SkillsUSA,” says Riegert. “It was exciting to go to Atlanta last year and I’m looking forward to it again this year. I’m thankful for my teachers and classmates. I’m proud to represent Minnesota at nationals.”
“Cole’s a leader in class, not only academically but also in helping other students and helping the program; he’s a mentor to his fellow students,” says Bainer. “The skills I see him display at competition, I see in the classroom all the time.”
In addition to the student awards, Bainer received a special award this year for his many years of support for SkillsUSA and the diesel industry. He is a member of the SkillsUSA Diesel Committee.
SkillsUSA competitions are held to reward students for excellence and keep career training relevant to employer needs. Representatives from industry, trade associations and labor organizations contribute considerable time and donations to help run the competitions.