ANKENY, Iowa–Two Boone High School students captured sixth-place in the 28th annual (DMACC)/Iowa Automobile Dealers Association (IADA) Automotive Skills Contest recently held at the DMACC Ankeny Campus.

Ty Mechura and Jonathan Kraus, both of Boone, were the skills competition sixth place finishers.

The team from LeMars High School took first place, Collins Maxwell/Colo-NESCO/North Polk/Roland-Story/West Marshall High School took second place and the Southwest Community College Career Academy captured third.  Other schools competing were Ankeny DMACC Career Academy, Nevada High School, Boone High School, Perry DMACC Career Academy and Ames/Ballard/South Hamilton High School.

Mechura and Kraus each received numerous tools and supplies donated by the Iowa Automobile Dealers Association. Each member from the other seven teams also received tools and supplies from the Association for their participation in this competition. In total, more than $23,000 worth of tools and equipment was awarded to the contestants.

Eight two-member teams of Iowa high school automotive students qualified for the hands-on portion of the Automotive Skills Contest by having the highest average scores on a written test held in November on the DMACC Ankeny Campus. More than 220 students representing 16 Iowa high schools competed in the written portion of the contest.

The DMACC Foundation provided $1,000 scholarships to each of the first-place finishers, $600 scholarships to each of the second-place winners, $400 scholarships to each of the third-place winners and $250 scholarships to the fourth-place finishers.

Boone High School students Ty Mechura (left) and Jonathan Kraus, both of Boone, stand in front of the prizes they won for taking sixth place in the hands-on portion of the 28th annual Des Moines Area Community/Iowa Automobile Dealers Association (IADA) Automotive Skills Contest recently held at the DMACC Ankeny Campus.

(contributed article and photo, DMACC)