Posted at 12:52 p.m., Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Maui students compete in auto skills competition
Advertiser Staff
Brandon Sato and Dustin Texeira, 2007 graduates of Maui High School, placed 10th at today's 2007 Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills national finals at Ford World Headquarters in Dearborn, Mich.The team representing Hawai'i raced against the clock and 49 other two-person teams in the hands-on portion of the competition, which involved diagnosing problems in a deliberately "bugged" Ford Fusion and making repairs. The contest also included a written exam worth 40 percent of the total score.
The winners were Austin Castro and Daniel Lehmkuhl, 2007 graduates of San Luis Obispo High School in California, who finished in 49 minutes and six seconds.
The top 10 teams received general education scholarships valued from $2,000 to $400 from Ford Motor Co. and AAA.
The 100 students who competed in the national finals earned their way to Dearborn from a total of more than 7,500 high school students who enrolled in the competition last fall.
The Hawai'i team was coached by Maui High teacher Neill Nakamura.
