Fifteen Southern California high schools competed in the “Hands-On” Automotive Technology Semifinal on Saturday in the Cerritos College Automotive Department.

The contest was sponsored by the Greater Los Angeles New Car Dealers Association and Southland Motor Car Dealers Association.

Among the high schools that participated in the competition were:

The semifinal competition tested high school seniors’ knowledge and ability of engine management, vehicle safety and body electrical systems.

In addition, it also used the students’ mathematical skills as well as the use of resources, using charts and teamwork.

The high school duo with the highest overall score out of 90 points will compete at the national competition on Apr. 10-11 at the 2007 New York International Auto Show.

Furthermore, the winning duo will win a Ford Mustang for its high school. The winner will receive a phone call from the Automotive Department within the next few weeks.

Beforehand, students said that they were excited and couldn’t wait for the competition to begin. Jose Guidel, Venice High School senior, said that he, along with Jesse Navarro, was confident that they were going to win.

Babak Azadi, Venice High School instructor, said that he had high expectations for both Navarro and Guidel because both had trained during the last year for the competition.

For Azadi, having taught automotive technology for eight years has greater enhanced his love for cars.

Guidel and Navarro said that their interest lies in the fact that their parents have a family-owned business.

“Both of us are just keeping in the family tradition,” Navarro said. Guidel also agreed.

However, for Joe Agruso, Van Nuys High School instructor, it wasn’t that he had high expectations. “I’m here because I am showing support to my students David Yoo and Michael Sememrdijian.”

But he did say that he expected to win the trip to New York and he jokingly said that he had his bags packed to head east for the Auto Show.

That same sentiment was what Agoura High School instructor John Andersen had. He said his bags were packed as well, but it all lead back to the fun of having the competition that both enjoyed the most.

There was also what a career in automotive technology can do for those who were there for the competition as well.

Agruso said it would give students the opportunity to put a skill like automotive technology in résumés that meant, “those students have an interest in that field.”

When the competition was underway Palmdale High School seniors Alberto Resendiz and Cole Younger had support from fellow high school seniors Jaime Rodriguez and Mark Barvera. Rodriguez said that he hoped both would do well and win the trip to New York.

Barvera said that he was hopeful that Resendiz and Younger would win by showing up to Cerritos to cheer them on.

Cerritos automotive instructor Steve Berklite said that the reason for having this competition is simply for those high school students who are looking for a career in the field. Within the fifteen high schools that competed, Berklite said that there were two women who competed.

Berklite said that it is common for a small number of women to compete but overall those who were there to compete did well.

Afterward, Navarro and Gudiel said that they were relieved to have the competition over with but said that they were confident they did well to win the trip to New York. Resendiz and Younger said the same thing.

Kevin Taylor, automotive department chair said that the students were well-prepared and that the contest gets better with every year that it is held.