Paris Texas Team Wins State Finals of Student Auto Skills Contest

    HOUSTON--April 21, 2001--A team of two students from North Lamar High School took top honors today in the Texas state finals of the 2001 Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills Contest in Houston. The students, Jared B. Reaves and Jimmy L. Mills now go on to represent Texas at the June 18th national finals in Washington, D. C. The team's instructor is Bo Bolton.
    Fifteen high school teams from around the state competed in today's event at Space Center Houston. The teams of two high school seniors attempted to quickly and accurately diagnose and repair Ford vehicles that were intentionally disabled. The state championship was determined by the combination of a written qualifying exam and their performance in today's hands-on competition.
    "This competition showcases the talents of many fine students and educators across the state, as demonstrated by Bo Bolton, the instructor of the winning team, who will be making his fourth appearance at the national competition," said Patrick O'Reilly, manager of the Approved Auto Repair Program.
    The 2001 Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills contest encourages students to pursue rewarding career opportunities in automotive service. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates there is a need for 60,000 additional automotive technicians, annually. Properly trained technicians can earn $35,000-$75,000 a year.
    State champions earn a spot in the Ford Motor Company's ASSET (Automotive Student Service Educational Training) program, including scholarships to associate degree automotive technology programs.
    More than $116,000 worth of scholarships were awarded at today's Auto Skills competition.

	   This is how the high school teams lined up:

1st Place         N. Lamar High School  (Paris, TX)
                  Students: Jared B. Reaves & Jimmy L. Mills
                  Instructor: Bo Bolton

2nd Place         Seminole High School  (Seminole, TX)
                  Students: Chris Dosher & John W. Redecop
                  Instructor: Bob Summer

3rd Place         Shannon Learning Center   (Ft. Worth, TX)
                  Students: George N. Edmonson  & Cody Pelt
                  Instructor: Olin R. Harrington

4th Place         Klein High School   (Klein, TX)
                  Students:  Kevin J. Flores & Christopher P. Hunt
                  Instructor:  Andy Mize

5th Place         Lancaster High School   (Lancaster, TX)
                  Students: John Jestis & Tim W. Schulze
                  Instructor:  Raymond A. Fagan

6th Place         Pearland High School   (Pearland, TX)
                  Students: James C. Brown & Jarrod C. Portelance
                  Instructor:  John M. Akin

7th Place         Cy Fair High School   (Houston, TX)
                  Students:  Mike A. Zdunkawicz & Paul D. Kessler
                  Instructor:  Donald P. Kessler

8th Place         Lewisville High School   (Lewisville, TX)
                  Students:  Jason T. Franklin & Randall Durham
                  Instructor:  Anthony M. Marino

9th Place         Center for Career & Tech   (El Paso, TX)
                  Students:  Jose Carmona & Jesus Morales
                  Instructor:  Manny Contreras

10th Place        Hereford High School   (Hereford, TX)
                  Students: Kevin W. Winget & Jason K. Jesko
                  Instructor:  Monty Smith

11th Place        Elgin High School    (Elgin, TX)
                  Students:  Gene A. McWhorter & Keith W. Kubosh
                  Instructor:  Chuck Fromme

12th Place        John Marshall High School   (San Antonio, TX)
                  Students:  Walter J. Geraghty & David S. Woodring
                  Instructor:  Thomas Berger

13th Place        Bryan High School   (Bryan, TX)
                  Students:  Vincent P. Schielack & John E. Blackmon
                  Instructor:  Nathan McCann

14th Place        Langham Creek  (Houston, TX)
                  Students:  Clifton W. Kuhn & Travis D. Ragsdale
                  Instructor: Sanford W. Lee

15th Place        Bownfiled High School  (Brownfield, TX)
                  Students:  Jerry L. Wilson & Wallace D. Devine
                  Instructor:  Scott Randall Burkett

    A second contest was taking place at the same time of the Auto Skills contest - Ford's Ultimate Master Techinician Challenge. It was a showdown of Ford's best techs, battling to repair vehicles that were deliberately disabled.

	   This is how they lined up:

      Name              Prize
      ----              -----
1st   James Gahan       $5,000   Casa Ford, Inc.  (El Paso)
                        Cruise

2nd   Joseph Boyle      $4,000   North Park Lincoln Mercury  (Bergheim)

3rd   Daniel Lee Adams  $3,000   Green Country Ford, Inc. (Vinita, OK)

4th   Darren Winchell   $2,000   North Park Lincoln Mercury
                                 (San Antonio)

5th   Kenneth Echols    $1500    Eagle Pass Ford Mercury, Inc.
                                 (San Antonio)

	   The first place winner goes on to compete in the national finals
in Washington, D.C.

    AAA Texas has been serving Texans since 1902. Today, AAA Texas offers its members a full-service travel agency, auto-related and financial services, as well as public safety programs and legislative advocacy.