Kilgore High School SkillsUSA Team Wins Back-to-Back State Championships

Health science students excel at state competition, earning gold, silver, and bronze medals

Apr. 19, 2026 at 11:35am

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A fragmented, geometric painting in bold colors depicting a high school SkillsUSA competition, with overlapping shapes and planes representing the team's dedication and competitive spirit.A cubist illustration captures the energy and teamwork of the Kilgore High School SkillsUSA team as they compete for state championships.Kilgore Today

The Kilgore High School Health Science SkillsUSA team had an outstanding performance at the recent Texas State Competition, earning back-to-back state championships as well as multiple gold, silver, and bronze medals. The team's hard work and dedication were praised by their instructor and coach, Cheyenne Kirkpatrick, who is also a candidate for National Advisor of the Year.

Why it matters

The Kilgore High School SkillsUSA team's success highlights the impressive skills and commitment of their health science students, who not only excel in competition but also regularly give back to their local community through events like health fairs and blood drives. Their accomplishments demonstrate the value of career and technical education programs that prepare students for real-world healthcare roles.

The details

At the SkillsUSA Health Science Texas State Competition in Corpus Christi, the Kilgore High School team earned back-to-back state championships in the Community Service Team and American Spirit Team events. They also won gold, silver, and bronze medals in individual and team competitions, as well as several superior ratings. The students put in long hours of preparation, including early morning meetings, lunch breaks, and after-school study sessions, to ensure they were fully ready for the state-level competition.

  • The SkillsUSA Health Science Texas State Competition was held from April 8-11, 2026 in Corpus Christi.
  • The national SkillsUSA competition will take place in Atlanta, Georgia in early June 2026.

The players

Cheyenne Kirkpatrick

The health science instructor and SkillsUSA coach at Kilgore High School, who was named the State Advisor of the Year and is a candidate for National Advisor of the Year.

Rya Whatley, Daniel Wilkerson, Trent Turley

Members of the Kilgore High School Community Service Team, who won the state championship.

Grace Friesen, Lauryn Hok, Angel Martinez

Members of the Kilgore High School American Spirit Team, who won the state championship.

Angel Martinez, Aleksa Martinez

Kilgore High School students who won gold medals in the First Aid & CPR Technical Test.

Bryce Linkinhoker, Trent Turley, Lydia Witherspoon

Kilgore High School students who won silver medals in the Career Pathways Showcase (Health Science) event.

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What they’re saying

“The preparation going into it was a lot of hard work. We had to make sure we contacted as many business people as we could, contacting as many groups and principals within our school district as we could. It was a lot of stress, a lot of work going into it, but in the end, it was definitely worth it because we got to go to state.”

— Trent Turley, State Champion

“For our preparation process for the American Spirit Team, we restarted our entire binder and made sure that binder was as state-ready as possible by the time we got to our district contest. I was able to participate in two events at the state level. We got gold for our American Spirit. I did not place for our First Aid CPR competition but me and my American Spirit team, we thoroughly and every day made sure our binder was the best it could be for our chapter.”

— Grace Friesen, State Champion

“So it was my last year. I'm a senior this year and I've been in SkillsUSA all four years. So it was kind of happy, kind of sad, but it was just really fun. I got to work with some great teammates this year, and we had a lot of great people since we all placed this year in our competitions. I'm very grateful for what this organization has taught me and what my advisor has given me. Through this, it's inspired me to what I want to do with my life. It's taught me just so much responsibility. Every moment at competitions is so full of energy, whether it was excitement or sometimes even disappointment. We all had the energy and we were all just together as one in this.”

— Lydia Witherspoon, Senior Student

“As far as this year with the kids, every single team that Health Science sent was on the podium. Just the magnitude of this competition and how many students are in it and the hours of work they put in, it's just amazing.”

— Cheyenne Kirkpatrick, Health Science Instructor and SkillsUSA Coach

What’s next

The Kilgore High School SkillsUSA team will head to the national competition in Atlanta, Georgia on June 1, 2026, where medal winners will be announced on June 5.

The takeaway

The Kilgore High School SkillsUSA team's back-to-back state championships and impressive medal haul at the Texas State Competition demonstrate the exceptional skills and dedication of their health science students. Beyond their competition success, these students also make a significant impact on their local community through events like health fairs and blood drives, showcasing the value of career and technical education programs.