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NIC autobody student wins national competition

Brunko poses for a photo wearing the gold medal he earned by winning the June 24 National SkillsUSA Collision Repair competition.

A North Idaho College Autobody and Paint Technology student took home first place at the National SkillsUSA competition on June 24 in Atlanta.

Jon Brunko of Homedale was crowned a National Champion in the Collision Repair competition, beating more than 20 opponents.

NIC students Onasis Ocampo Mendoza of Yakima finished sixth in Damage Analysis and Koby Garvin Carrasco of Spokane finished ninth in Auto Refinishing.

“Sweeping all three events at the state competition was historic for us but having all three of our students finish in the top 10 nationally was equally as rewarding,” NIC Autobody and Paint Technology instructor Cal DeHaas said.

The three NIC students qualified for the national competition after sweeping gold medals in the Idaho SkillsUSA competition on April 4 in Nampa.

DeHaas said he had high hopes for Brunko going into nationals and thought he’d be a top-five finisher if had a consistent day in the hands-on events.

“He exceeded those expectations in a big way and came home a national champion,” DeHaas said. “He’s the total package. Strong skill sets, solid troubleshooting skills, coachable, humble and is a fierce competitor.”

Brunko is the second NIC student to win first place in a National SkillsUSA competition. Ashleigh Anderson of Hayden took home the award in 2021.

“I couldn’t be more grateful for NIC Autobody Advisors AJ Parker and Dwayne Branham as well as Assistant Autobody Instructor Andy Rogge for helping our students prepare for the state and national competitions,” DeHaas said. “Our students worked really hard to get to this point and I couldn’t be more proud of them.”