Teams from Goshen win two top spots, move on to next round in National Auto Tech Competition

GOSHEN — Teams from Orange-Ulster BOCES in Goshen took the two top spots on Jan. 9 at the National Automotive Technology Competition kick-off, where they competed against 40 high school seniors in demonstrating their skills as auto technicians.
After placing first and second at the Center for Automotive Education and Training in Queens, the two winning teams from Goshen are moving on to the next level of competition on Feb. 12.
The competitors raced against the clock to fix a wide range of car makes and models across 15 different work stations. Four teams from New York City and three teams from Westchester/Rockland also moved on to the next round, where they'll compete against other regional winners from Long Island to be the Greater New York representative at the National Auto Technology Competition.
The finals, where students will win more than $3 million in prizes and scholarships, will be judged before a live audience at the 2019 New York International Auto Show in April.
The nationally recognized competition was created by the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association to spotlight well-paying automotive technician job opportunities and set interested students on a path for a rewarding career in the auto industry.
After the results were announced, each of the regional winners drew the name of a car manufacturer that will donate a car for the students to study and work on in advance of the New York finals next month.
Local winnersThe Westchester/Rockland County winning teams are as follows:
First place: Orange-Ulster BOCES (Goshen)
Students: Justin Mitts, Matthew Dykes
Teacher: Kenneth Kohn
Vehicle selected: Chevrolet
Second place: Orange-Ulster BOCES (Goshen)
Students: Connor McCann, Marco Radi
Teacher: Kenneth Kohn
Vehicle selected: Toyota
Third place: Rockland BOCES
Students: Matthew Mazzara, Xander Zafour
Teacher: Frank Pipolo
Vehicle selected: Subaru
Fourth place: Southern Westchester BOCES
Students: Jeffrey Fernandes, Gurleen Singh
Teacher: Mike Ward
Vehicle selected: N/A (team does not go on to New York Finals)
NYC winnersThe New York City winning teams are as follows:
First place: Thomas A. Edison CTE High School (Queens)
Students: Daniel Castro, Roshan Samad
Teacher: Miguel Sierra
Vehicle selected: Chevrolet
Second place: ORalph R. McKee CTE High School (Staten Island)
Students: Jason Hannan, Casey Weiler
Teacher: David Sarno
Vehicle selected: Mazda
Third place: Thomas A. Edison CTE High School (Queens)
Students: Jordy Castro, Lazaro Isidoro
Teacher: Miguel Sierra
Vehicle selected: Lexus
Fourth place: Automotive High School (Brooklyn)
Students: Kyle Anthony, Thazeke Bailey
Teacher: Renato Rosales
Vehicle selected: Toyota