ISU Robotics Makes History with “Three-Peat” at Skills USA National Competition

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – Two students from the ISU Robotics Program, Angel Nava and Rudy Ernest, traveled to Atlanta, Georgia for the Skills USA National Championships and came home with medals, memories, and an astounding accomplishment.

Idaho State University became the first school to win the same competition at Skills USA Nationals three years in a row when Nava took the gold medal in Electronics Technology. Ernest came away with a 6th place overall win in the Mathmatics competition.

The Electronics Technology competition had five different sections to complete, including written tests and hands-on applications. Nava said he felt very prepared after his rigorous years in the robotics program.

"In later semesters in the program, you really get knee deep in the troubleshooting, trying to figure out what each component in the circuit does," Nava said.

He added that other competing students he spoke to came from less intensive electrical engineering programs, working with older equipment. "I know everyone did their best, but our program is pretty tough as nails," he said. "But that kind of works out in my favor because it makes me a little more prepared."

ISU sent multiple students to the state level competition, which Nava said was just as intense as nationals. "I was going against a lot of my classmates, and I was definitely nervous because they're really good at what they do so I'd say I was more nervous at the state level."

The national competition brought in over 20,000 people from across the country, making it the biggest stage the ISU athletes had ever competed on. Nava said the presssure really came from knowing the three-peat rode on his shoulders and he didn't want to let the team down.

"I knew going into it I could probably make it onto the podium, but I wasn't sure if I was going to be first," he said. "The other guys really knew what they were doing and seemed confident. When they called my name, I just felt a huge wave of relief, just like 'oh thank goodness I didn't screw it up' because this was really big and if I had gotten second place, we would've had to start over again another three years to hopefully get the three-peat."

Prizes were also awarded to the highest winners of each competition. Nava said he and Ernest had some time to explore Atlanta and make some memories while on the trip.

Ernest got a higher score than the ISU student who competed in mathmatics last year, who walked away with a bronze medal. Because Ernest secured 6th place, the team believes the competition is only going to grow more fierce in the next several years.

"It's such an achievement he was able to beat our guy from last year, and it really speaks to how the competition is going to keep getting better every year and everybody's going to be stepping up their game," he said.

The director of Skills USA met with Nava and his instructor Brody Holyoak for photos and to congratulate them on their history-making win. Now, Nava looks forward to possible scholarship opportunities that could come as a result of his national achievement and to mentoring future students in the robotics program.

"We'll love to have Angel's help and understanding to have him mentor the next group of competitors," said Brody Holyoak, a first semester instructor in the Robotics and Communications Engineering Technology program at ISU. "It was Angel's hard work, intuitiveness, his ability to read the instructions and do the competition. The program taught him, but he was the one able to pull it all together and do so well in the competition."

When it mattered most, Nava blocked out the pressure of the national competition and performed at the highest level in his craft.

"I just want to say congratulations to both of the guys, I am so proud of you," Holyoak added. "It's not an easy thing to go, and I'm grateful they were willing to take the time to go to the national competition. They're incredible students, very hardworking."

The robotics program is already looking forward to another amazing year of competition, hopefully to make it a four-peat next summer.