Polytech’s Winning Streak Continues at NJ CAR Competition

Flemington, N.J. – For the second straight year, students from Hunterdon County Polytech Career and Technical High School have placed first in the New Jersey Auto Tech Competition, sponsored by the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers (NJ CAR). Stephen Koehler and Geordan Marrero, both seniors in Polytech’s Automotive Technology Program, kept the high school’s winning streak alive thanks to the in-class instruction, as well as the additional training, they received from Instructor Chris Scheuerman.

Last year’s team of Austin Tarby and Patrick Willey also placed first. They were the inaugural winners of this particular competition held at Brookdale Community College. A win here means teams advance to the National Automotive Technology Competition held in New York City. Although the competition at Brookdale is still in its infancy, Polytech Automotive Technology teams have now qualified for nationals five years in a row due to strong finishes in other competitive events.

To punch their ticket to nationals, Koehler and Marrero competed against four other high school teams. They moved through eight hands-on stations that measured their ability to assess and undertake vehicle repairs, including brakes, engine mechanical, engine performance, controller area network (CAN) diagnostics, heating and air conditioning (HVAC), electrical, wiring repair, and a STEM station. Faculty and technicians from Brookdale served as judges for the competition.

Scheuerman helped Koehler and Marrero train outside of class, volunteering his time two nights a week since the first week in October. “It takes effort to prepare, and they came every single Monday and Wednesday without complaints and ready to learn,” said Scheuerman of his students. They’ll resume the same intense schedule leading up to nationals in the spring.

Hunterdon County Polytech’s Automotive Technology Program operates out of the school’s Central Campus located at 10 Junction Rd. in Flemington.

Although the official application period for Hunterdon County Polytech Career and Technical High School’s 2020-2021 academic year has ended, the district continues to accept applications for most programs on a rolling basis until each reaches capacity. All applications are accepted online through hcvsd.org.

Hunterdon County Polytech Career & Technical High School is the largest component of Hunterdon County Vocational School District (HCVSD). Polytech (polytech.hcvsd.org) is the district’s shared-time high school that prepares students for a seamless transition to college and career paths. HCVSD also operates an Adult & Continuing Education division and three science-based academies. Learn more at www.hcvsd.org.

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All pupils will be given equal opportunity for enrollment in programs operated by the Hunterdon County Vocational School District regardless of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender, religion, disability, or socioeconomic status (34 C.F.R. Part 100, Appendix B, Section IV-A). No qualified handicapped person shall, on the basis of handicap, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity which receives federal financial assistance, et seq (34 C.F.R. Part 104.4(a)(b).