NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT:
Sara Panza
Greater Cleveland Automobile Dealers’ Association
440.746.1500
Finalists Selected for Automotive Technology Competition
Cleveland, OH (February 3, 2015) – Five two-person teams from high schools across Northern Ohio have been selected to compete in the finals of the Cleveland Auto Show’s 23rd Annual Automotive Technology Competition. The live event will be held on Sunday, March 8 during the Cleveland Auto Show at the I-X Center.
The five teams qualified for the finals after completing a rigorous written examination that tested their automotive knowledge.
“I’d like to congratulate all ten students and their instructors. Just by qualifying, these ten aspiring technicians have already demonstrated that they have the knowledge to pursue very lucrative careers,” says Dennis Rose, floor manager of the 2015 Cleveland Auto Show. “During the finals, we’ll see if they have what it takes during a ‘hands on’ portion of the competition where they will have to find ‘bugs’ placed in a 2015 Lexus RX350 by our team of test proctors.”
“It should be an intense competition. These students represent the very best that Northern Ohio has to offer.”
Winners of the 23rd Annual Automotive Technology Competition at the Cleveland Auto Show will go on to represent Northern Ohio in the National Automotive Technology Competition in New York, which will be held April 7 and 8 during the New York International Auto Show.
The five teams qualifying for the finals of the 23rd Annual Automotive Technology Competition include: Tyler Bishop and Kristijan Filipovic and their instructor Anthony Rozman from Euclid High School; Kevin Gettens and Mo Ali and their instructor Michael Szittai from Lakewood High School; Ty Obodean and Nicholas Pongallo and their instructor Bob Yuravak from Polaris Career Center; Ethan Nye and Bernie Somers and their instructor David Borer from Sentinel Career Center, and Kyle Baer and Dave Reshetnyak and their instructor Gary Mitchhart from Valley Forge High School.
In addition to a trip to New York City to represent Northern Ohio in the National Automotive Technology Competition, each member of the first place team will also be given a $5,000 scholarship to Cuyahoga Community College, the University of Northwestern Ohio, or Stark State College. Each member of the second place team will win a $900 scholarship to any of those three schools, while the third place team will win $750 scholarships. All prizes and travel expenses are supplied by the Auto Dealers' Educational Assistance Foundation of the Greater Cleveland Auto Dealers' Association.
Winners competing in the National Automotive Technology Competition will be pitted against automotive tech teams from around the country in a test of skill, a measure of knowledge, and a race against the clock – all rolled into one. It features hundreds of the best high school automotive technician education students from across the country, competing for the title of the nation’s best automotive technicians.
“Several of the teams that we have sent to New York have placed very high in the past, including last year’s team from Sentinel Career Center, which placed in the top ten at nationals,” says Rose. “With the high level of knowledge and expertise we saw on the written portion of the examination this year, we expect the winners of this year’s 23rd Annual Automotive Technology Competition to place very high as well.”
The Cleveland Auto Show opens its doors at the I-X Center on Saturday, March 7 and runs through Sunday, March 15 at the I-X Center in Cleveland. The show features more than 750 vehicles in over one million square feet of exhibit space over its nine-day run at the I-X Center in Cleveland.
Show hours run from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays. Updated Cleveland Auto Show information and E-Tickets are currently available at www.clevelandautoshow.com. Tickets are $13 for adults and $11 for seniors and preteens. Children six and under get in free. Parking is free for the duration of the Show, courtesy of your franchised new motor vehicle dealers. The Cleveland Auto Show is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
If you would like more information on the Show, or to purchase e-tickets with no convenience charges courtesy of Huntington Bank, head to www.clevelandautoshow.com and click on “Buy Tickets”.
About the Cleveland Auto Show
The Cleveland Auto Show, presented by AutoTrader.com marks the start of the spring selling season in Northern Ohio. Featuring concept, pre-production and production vehicles from the world’s auto manufacturers, the show is held annually at the I-X Center with nearly one million square feet of exhibits. The Show also features an array of entertainment including sports celebrity appearances from the Browns, Cavs, and more. The Cleveland Auto Show is a consumer show and a favorite family tradition since 1903. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheClevelandAutoShow.
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