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Greater Cleveland Automobile Dealers’ Association
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Euclid High School Takes Home Top Honors
in 23rd Annual Automotive Technology Competition
Cleveland, OH (March 9, 2015) – Working against the backdrop of a bustling Cleveland Auto Show and challenged to find bugs placed in identical Lexus RX350s, five two-person teams from high schools across Northern Ohio squared off in the 23rd Annual Automotive Technology Competition at the I-X Center Sunday. The team of Tyler Bishop and Kristijan Filipovic from Euclid High School took home top honors as winners of the Competition.
“I’d like to congratulate Tyler and Kristijan and their instructor Anthony Rozman on their victory in the 23rd Annual Automotive Technology Competition,” said Dennis Rose, floor manager of the Cleveland Auto Show. “They now move on to represent Northern Ohio in the National Automotive Technology Competition in New York City.
“The competition was extremely close this year, with our first place winners barely nudging out second and third. The other two teams in the competition also did very well.”
Ty Obodean and Nicholas Pongallo and their instructor Bob Yuravak from Polaris Career Center took home second place, while Ethan Nye and Bernie Somers and their instructor David Borer from Sentinel Career Center came in third. All of the teams were awarded tool boxes and fender guards, among other prizes, just for qualifying for the event.
The Euclid team is now heading to the National Automotive Technology Competition in New York City, where they will compete against other high school automotive tech students from across the country. The Nationals will be held April 7 and 8 during the New York International Auto Show.
In addition to a trip to New York City to represent Northern Ohio in the National Automotive Technology Competition, Bishop and Filipovic both took home a $5,000 scholarship to their choice of Cuyahoga Community College, the University of Northwestern Ohio, or Stark State College. Obodean and Pongallo of the second place Polaris team each won a $900 scholarship to any of those three schools, while Nye and Somers of the team from Sentinel each won $750 scholarships. All prizes and travel expenses were supplied by the Auto Dealers’ Educational Assistance Foundation of the Greater Cleveland Auto Dealers’ Association.
Vehicles for the competition were provided by Classic Lexus of Willoughby Hills and Metro Lexus of Cleveland.
Test proctors included Ted Schaefer, Jim Gardner and Dennis Capek from Cuyahoga County Community College and Bryan Deitrick Toyota T-Ten program coordinator from Stark State College.
Judges for the competition included Jeff Teiffer, Mark Rigby, Derek Joviak, Warren McCaskey, Rusty Gold, Ray Thomas, Mike Tenwick, Mark Leahy, Jon Cheswick, Jerry Meade, Dave Tausch, Ed Stein, Brian Shaw, Perry Brelish, Clint Thomas and Dave Catterall, who came from a wide selection of professional service managers, manufacturing representatives and educators from major automotive brands across Northern Ohio.
The teams that competed at the Cleveland Auto Show qualified for the “hands on” portion of the Competition after taking a rigorous written examination to test their knowledge. Dave Reshetnyak of Valley Forge High School was recognized for having scored the highest on the written portion of the competition.
“All of the teams here at the 23rd Annual Automotive Technology Competition at the Cleveland Auto Show showed that they have what it takes to enter a very lucrative career path as an automotive technician,” said Rose. “I’d like also to thank all of our judges and test proctors for their involvement and for making this competition a success. Now it’s on to New York and the National Competition.”
The Cleveland Auto Show 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 are 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 always 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.
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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