A.W. Beattie team one of the best in statewide competition

Avonworth senior Chris Keast and Pine-Richland senior Jimmy Yockel didn’t know each other before they teamed up for the Pennsylvania Automotive Association competition, but that didn’t stop them from outperforming some of the top Auto Tech students in the state.

The pair placed fourth in the competition, which was based on their pre-delivery inspection of a new vehicle straight from its factory.

“I thought the whole competition was laid out really nicely, and it felt pretty easy because everything they taught us at Beattie was right there, so everything we did went really smooth,” Yockel said.

Keast, a third-year Auto Technology student at the career center, and Yockel, who is in his second year, qualified with the highest scores on an automotive test in their classes.

“I think we did great, especially for our first time in any competition,” Keast said. “I was really happy with how we did.”

Keast and Yockel discovered three issues with the vehicle during the full inspection: a wire off the starter, a seat belt malfunction and a turn signal that was out.

Yockel compared the experience to the 2018 Pine-Richland football team, which he played for during its undefeated state championship season.

“It was a great time then, and this was great, too,” Yockel said. “There’s a lot of people who didn’t get to qualify for states, so it felt good just to know we were fourth. It definitely gave me more confidence.”