Students take top honors in state firefighting competition



Cloverleaf High School and Medina County Career Center seniors Daniel Dennis and Ethan Siman took first and second places, respectively, in the firefighting segment of the Ohio SkillsUSA Competition in April in Columbus. Dennis will represent the state of Ohio in the national competition in Louisville, Kentucky, in June.

Career center teacher Ray Anthony described the rigorous competition at the May 26 meeting of the Cloverleaf Board of Education, where the students were honored for their outstanding performances.

Anthony likened the competition to “the hardest six-minute wrestling match of your life.” Fire and rescue students must complete a number of difficult tasks in as short a time as possible while wearing turnout gear and a 50-pound air tank. Challenges included running for 60 seconds on a stair climber, pulling heavy objects, tying four basic knots, completing an agility course, accurately hitting cones with a spray of water from a fire hose, and more. Students also have the opportunity to complete a written test in which correct answers will take time off their score on the challenge course.

Siman finished the event with a time of 160.10 seconds to earn second place. Dennis won the competition with a time of 143.5 seconds, which Anthony speculated may be the fastest time in Ohio history.

Eighteen career technical schools in Ohio – including the Medina County Career Center – offer courses of study in public safety. Each school may send two participants to the Ohio SkillsUSA Competition, Anthony said. The fact Dennis and Siman took the top two places is a testament to their hard work and dedication.

“These guys really have guts and they work their tails off,” Anthony said. “I’m very proud of them.”

Pictured from left to right are Cloverleaf Board of Education President Jason Myers, student Daniel Dennis, student Ethan Siman, Medina County Career Center teacher Ray Anthony, and Cloverleaf Superintendent Daryl Kubilus.

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