Aims Students Showcase Auto Collision Repair and Refinishing Skills at Regional Competition

The competition, held at the Automotive & Technology Center on the Aims Windsor Campus, brought together 30 total student competitors, including 20 from Aims and 10 from Morgan Community College. Students tested their abilities in real-world automotive repair and refinishing scenarios under the eyes of industry professionals.

“Participation in this competition is about students investing in themselves and their futures because this is an extracurricular event,” said Mike Hanscome, Aims automotive instructor and advisor for the SkillsUSA team. “They’ve chosen to do this, and the instructors have chosen to give time to help these students.”

Judges from Denver, Cheyenne and Northern Colorado evaluated student performance in key technical areas, including collision repair, refinishing and damage appraisal estimating. “The judges are looking to see how the student performs tasks and their proficiency in performing them,” Hanscome said. “These competencies are what the industry deems necessary for a student to get a job.”

The top finishers from the regional event will advance to the Colorado State Leadership and Skills Conference, held April 7–9 in Pueblo, with the chance to compete nationally in Atlanta, June 1–5.

Nine Aims students will be moving on to the state competition: 

Collision|Post-Secondary

Jesse Biederman | second place
Olivia Chivers| third place

Refinishing | Post-Secondary

Tristen Jeffrey | first place
Daniel Carrillo | second place
Megan Pierret| third place

Damage Appraisal | Post-Secondary

Cloud Kline | first place
Carter Sargent | second place
Diana Perry| third place

Collision|Secondary

Miranda Eckhardt | first place

Aims Automotive is now in its 14th year of participating in SkillsUSA, with a national medal count that includes 15 podium finishes and 11 national championships.

Get more information about Aims Automotive degrees and certificates at aims.co/automotive.