Three Wareham Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School students brought home medals from the SkillsUSA student competition held April 30 and May 1 in Marlborough.

SkillsUSA, a non-profit organization, aims to help students excel in trade, technical, and health occupations.

Sophomore Danielle Rossier, junior Conor White, and senior Asia Roberge each received a silver medal for their performances in the state competition. Nearly 3,000 students participated.

Rossier, an Engineering Technology student, participated as part of a three-student group which created a sensor application and robot that sorts objects. The application was created for use in cranberry bogs. For demonstrative purposes at the competition, the robot sorted various marbles and placed them into separate bins.

Rossier said she was shocked that her group won the award. "I couldn't stop shaking," she said. "I was so excited."

White, who studies plumbing and heating, had to "rough in," or lay down the basic plumbing, for a half bathroom during the competition. He was given five hours to complete the task.

"It was very physically demanding," White said. "It was exciting."

White said he wants to participate again next year and hopes to advance on to the national competition. After graduation, he would like to run his own plumbing business.

Roberge participated in the extemporaneous speech portion of the competition. She was given five minutes to prepare a three-to-five minute SkillsUSA speech using only provided reference materials and note cards.

Roberge said she was thrilled when she heard she won the silver medal. "I was thinking if I would get anything ... it would be bronze."

But she wasn't nervous. "It's kind of my thing," Roberge said. "I like being on the spot."

Though she is a Health Careers student at Upper Cape, Roberge will attend the University of Massachusetts Amherst next year to study social thought and political economy. She said she would like to begin a career in environmental activism.

School Superintendent Kevin Farr said the SkillsUSA competition is good reinforcement for students. "It enables the kids to demonstrate the skills they've been taught," he said.

Students from Wareham make up 225 of the school's 700 students.