NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT:
Sara Panza
Greater Cleveland Automobile Dealers’ Association
440.746.1500
Five Teams Qualify for Automotive Tech Competition Finals
Cleveland, OH—Ten students representing five high school automotive technician programs from across Northern Ohio have been selected to compete in the Finals of the Cleveland Auto Show’s 24th Annual Automotive Technology Competition. The five two-man teams will square-off in a “hands-on” portion of the competition, which will be held Sunday, Feb. 28 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 automotive knowledge.
“These ten students have distinguished themselves as being the very best from among the hundreds of aspiring high school automotive technicians across Northern Ohio,” says Dennis Rose, floor manager of the 2016 Cleveland Auto Show. “I would like to congratulate them as well as their instructors on their performance so far. Now, they will have to prove themselves once again, during a hands-on portion of the competition where they will be challenged to find bugs placed in an actual vehicle by a team of test proctors.”
The winning two-man team of the 24th 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 City, which runs from Monday, March 28, to Wednesday, March 30, at the Jacob K. Javits Center.
The five teams qualifying for the Finals of the 24th Annual Automotive Technology Competition include: Jackson Nugent, Austin Slemc and their instructor Michael Szittai from Lakewood High School; David Grayzanic, Jacob Baker and their instructor Darin Lewis from Medina County Career Center; Brandon Jagielski, Braxton Moore and their instructor Robert Yuravak from Polaris Career Center; Dustin Freeman, Cameron Welch and their instructor Ron Balis from Portage Lakes Career Center, and Brett Burton, Andrew Rampersaud 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 to any of those three schools, while the third place team will win a $750 scholarship. All prizes and travel expenses are supplied by the Auto Dealer Educational Assistance Foundation of the Greater Cleveland Automobile Dealers’ Association.
The Cleveland Auto Show opens on Friday Feb. 26 from 5 to 10 p.m. Show hours are Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information on the Cleveland Auto Show, or to purchase tickets online with no convenience fee courtesy of Huntington Bank, head to www.clevelandautoshow.com, and click on “Buy Tickets.”
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 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 at facebook.com/TheClevelandAutoShow and @CLEAutoShow.
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