The Stillman Valley High School ag mechanics team recently competed at the state competition against 21 teams and 149 individual contestants from across Illinois.

The Cardinals earned a fifth-place overall team finish in the state competition.

Two students highlighted the day with their performances. Senior Angel Marquez captured first place in electricity with a score of 91 out of 100 points, while Cale Kleinschmidt earned second place in surveying after tying for first and narrowly losing the tiebreaker by two points.

Angel’s state championship continues a run for Stillman Valley, marking the fourth consecutive year that an SVHS student has won the state title in electricity following Jeremiah Bogner, Paul Baker, Lucas Dallio and now Angel Marquez. Cale’s runner-up finish also continues recent success in surveying, as Stillman Valley has now produced back-to-back state runner-up finishes in the event following Lucas Cheeseman’s performance last season.

Additional top performances included Chase Jones (construction) – 10th place, Kory Rohrer (power) – 12th place and Kaleb Chambers (welding) – 19th place.

“I’m incredibly proud of the work these students put in throughout the year,” SVHS ag teacher Jay Williams said. “Their success is a reflection of the time, effort, and commitment they’ve shown both in the classroom and in the shop. It’s rewarding to see them compete at such a high level and represent Stillman Valley so well.”