Students from Pinckney High Win Ford/AAA Auto Skills Michigan Finals

DEARBORN, Mich., April 25 -- Two Pinckney High School students took first place in the ninth annual Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills National Quality Care Challenge today (April 25) at Macomb Community College in Warren.

Brian Strohecker and Derrek Miller, both from Pinckney, successfully fixed their deliberately ``bugged'' 2002 Ford Escape to beat out nine other student auto technician teams from across the state. The team's instructor is Michael Lewkowicz.

Second place went to Nick A. Dykstra from Lowell and Ryan J. Kamminga of Jenison, who attend Kent Career Technical Center in Grand Rapids. Third place was won by Gregory A. Eberlein and Scott J. Boyl, both from Oxford and both students at Oxford High School.

Winner of the Ultimate Master Technician Challenge, the second annual event for professional technicians, is Ken Elzinga of Pfeiffer Lincoln-Mercury in Grand Rapids.

The winning students will represent Michigan in the national finals June 17 in Washington, D.C.

Each participant qualified for the state final by placing among the highest team scores in a written test of judgment and knowledge of mechanics and electronics during regional testing in February.

AAA and Ford have teamed to co-sponsor the contest to recognize the talents of these young professionals. Nationwide, approximately 6,000 students are expected to compete in this year's Student Auto Skills contest for $9 million in scholarships and prizes.