Des Moines Sun

Impressive technical skills and talent were on display during the 31st Annual DMACC High School Hands-On Automotive Skills Contest on Fri., Dec. 16, at the Karl Chevrolet Automotive Technology Center on the DMACC Ankeny Campus.

Earlier this fall, approximately 280 high students representing 14 different schools from across Iowa took the 100-question written portion of the Skills Contest, and the top-eight scoring teams qualified to move on in the competition. Two students from each of those teams were then selected to represent their team during the hands-on portion of the contest.

During the hands-on portion, students competed in 15-minute, hands-on challenges in eight different areas: Engine performance, engine repair, electricity/electronics, brakes, steering and suspension, automatic transmission, manual drivetrain and HVAC.

Scholarships, prize packages awarded

The two competitors from each of the top-four finishing teams earned DMACC scholarships, and competitors from each finishing team received automotive prize packages featuring tools and equipment donated by a variety of sponsors. Special thanks to the Iowa Automobile Dealers Association (IADA), NAPA Auto Parts, O'Reilly Auto Parts, AutoZone Auto Parts, Arnold Motor Supply, Lowe's, Snap-On, Mac Tools, Johnston and Harbor Freight for their support.

The teams that qualified for the hand-on portion of the competition were Algona Community Schools, the DMACC Ames Career Academy, the DMACC Ankeny Career Academy, the DMACC Carroll Career Academy, the DMACC Southridge Career Academy, Fort Madison Community Schools, Mt. Pleasant Community Schools and the Southwestern Community College (SWCC) Career Academy.

Of note, the team from Algona was unfortunately unable to compete due to winter weather travel conditions in their area.

The final results were as follows:

FIRST PLACE: DMACC Carroll Career Academy

Kyle Sundrup (second from left), a junior at Carroll Kuemper High School, and Joshua Despenas (second from right), a senior at Exira-EHK High School, brought home first-place honors for the DMACC Carroll Career Academy team with a final score of 497 points. As the contest winners, Sundrup and Despenas each received a $1,000 DMACC scholarship, a trip to the 2023 New York Auto Show in New York City and an automotive tools/equipment prize package. 

They were joined at the competition by team alternate Carter Wieland (far left), a senior at Carroll High School, and their team instructor, Eric Wollesen (far right).

"All three students spent a lot of their own time outside of class studying, practicing and performing diagnoses of all eight areas of the automobile," said Wollesen, who is an Automotive Instructor at the DMACC Carroll Campus. "I'm very proud of their hard work and dedication that paid off for them. These guys are on their way to becoming top technicians."

Joshua Despenas (left), a senior at Exira-EHK High School, and Kyle Sundrup (right), a junior at Carroll Kuemper High School, focus on a manual drivetrain-related challenge during the 31st Annual DMACC High School Hands-On Automotive Skills Contest on Fri., Dec. 16, at the Karl Chevrolet Automotive Technology Center on the DMACC Ankeny Campus. The duo led the DMACC Carroll Career Academy team to a first-place finish.

SECOND PLACE: Mt. Pleasant

Jason Shirkey (second from left) and Tate Garmoe (second from right), both seniors at Mt. Pleasant High School earned second-place honors for the Mt. Pleasant team with a final score of 469 points. Shirkey and Garmoe both received a $600 DMACC scholarship and an automotive tools/equipment prize package.

They were joined at the competition by team alternate Kyli Millard (far left), a junior at Mt. Pleasant High School, and their team instructor, Jerry Crouch (far right). Also in attendance was team member Aaron Moler (center), a sophomore at Mt. Pleasant High School who recorded the top sophomore score during the written portion of the 31st Annual DMACC High School Hands-On Automotive Skills Contest in October.

Aaron Moler (right), a sophomore at Mt. Pleasant High School, is recognized by Jerry Burns (left), DMACC Automotive Technology Program Chair and Professor, as the top-scoring sophomore in the 31st Annual DMACC High School Hands-On Automotive Skills Contest.

THIRD PLACE: DMACC Ames Career Academy

Albert Andy (second from left), a junior at Boone High School, and Blake Harris (second from right), a senior at South Hamilton Community Schools, notched a third-place finish for the DMACC Ames Career Academy team with a final score of 460 points. Andy and Harris both received a $400 DMACC scholarship and an automotive tools/equipment prize package.

They were joined at the competition by team alternate Kaleb Huskey (far left), a junior at North Polk Community Schools, and their team instructor, Leland Staton (far right).

Albert Andy (left), a junior at Boone High School, and Blake Harris (right), a senior at South Hamilton Community Schools, work together to solve a steering and suspension-related problem during the 31st Annual DMACC High School Hands-On Automotive Skills Contest on Fri., Dec. 16, at the Karl Chevrolet Automotive Technology Center on the DMACC Ankeny Campus. Andy and Harris earned a third-place finish for the DMACC Ames Career Academy team.

FOURTH PLACE: Fort Madison

Trey Edwards (second from left), a senior at Fort Madison High School, and James Scheetz (second from right), a senior at Holy Trinity High School in Fort Madison, earned a fourth-place finish for the Fort Madison team with a final score of 457 points. Edwards and Scheetz both received a $250 DMACC scholarship and an automotive tools/equipment prize package.

They were joined at the competition by team alternate Drew Davis (far right), a senior at Fort Madison High School, and their team instructor, Jeff Gerdes (far left).

Trey Edwards (left), a senior at Fort Madison High School, and James Scheetz (right), a senior at Holy Trinity High School in Fort Madison work to measure HVAC systems performance during the 31st Annual DMACC High School Hands-On Automotive Skills Contest on Fri., Dec. 16, at the Karl Chevrolet Automotive Technology Center on the DMACC Ankeny Campus.

FIFTH PLACE: DMACC Ankeny Career Academy 

Jayden Stover (second from left), a junior at Ankeny High School, and Zachery Sanders (second from right), a senior at Ankeny Centennial High School, earned a fifth-place finish for the DMACC Ankeny Career Academy team with a final score of 419 points and each took home an automotive tools/equipment prize package. They were joined at the competition by team alternate Trysten Mullis (far right), a junior at Ankeny High School, and their team instructor, Mike Sander. 

Jayden Stover (left), a junior at Ankeny High School, and Zachery Sanders (right), a senior at Ankeny Centennial High School focus on a problem in the area of electricity/electronics during the 31st Annual DMACC High School Hands-On Automotive Skills Contest on Fri., Dec. 16, at the Karl Chevrolet Automotive Technology Center on the DMACC Ankeny Campus.

SIXTH PLACE: Southwestern Community College (SWCC) Career Academy

Logan Weland (second from left), a junior at Creston High School, and Lane Whirrett (second from right) of Osceola, a senior at Clarke Community Schools, recorded a sixth-place finish for the Southwestern Community College (SWCC) Career Academy team with a final score of 363 points and each received an automotive tools/equipment prize package. They were joined at the competition by team alternate Owen Allen (center), a senior at Creston High School, and their team instructors, Kole Vogel (far left) and Jeff Sorenson (far right).

Logan Weland, a junior at Creston High School (left) and Lane Whirrett (right) of Osceola, a senior at Clarke Community Schools, review data related to a manual drivetrain during the 31st Annual DMACC High School Hands-On Automotive Skills Contest on Fri., Dec. 16, at the Karl Chevrolet Automotive Technology Center on the DMACC Ankeny Campus.

SEVENTH PLACE: DMACC Southridge Career Academy

Frank Glenn (second from left) and David Manson (second from right), both juniors at Norwalk High School, earned a seventh-place finish for the DMACC Southridge Career Academy team with a final score of 267 points and each received an automotive tools/equipment prize package. They were joined at the competition by team alternate Benjamin Liedtke (far left), a senior at Norwalk High School, and their team instructor, Doug Kennedy (far right).

Frank Glenn (left) and David Manson (right), both juniors at Norwalk High School, work together on a challenge related to engine performance during the 31st Annual DMACC High School Hands-On Automotive Skills Contest on Fri., Dec. 16, at the Karl Chevrolet Automotive Technology Center on the DMACC Ankeny Campus.

To learn more about the DMACC Automotive program, visit https://auto.dmacc.edu. 

Original source can be found here.