Texas State Technical College students in Waco prepare Tuesday morning for another round of a tractor troubleshooting contest at the FFA Tractor Technician Competition for high school students from north and central Texas

(WACO) – Texas State Technical College’s Diesel Equipment Technology program hosted Tuesday the FFA Tractor Technician Competition involving 16 high school teams from north and central Texas.

The two winning teams from FFA’s Area 5 was Frisco Centennial and Weatherford while the top winners in Area 8 were Blooming Grove and Teague. These teams will move on to compete in a state FFA competition in March at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

“Our mission is to offer the students a foundation to build on for financial stability and to build a knowledge base in technology,” said John Goebel, a TSTC Diesel instructor and campus organizer of the contest.

TSTC’s Diesel Equipment Technology students created the problems the high school students found in the tractors and served as contest judges.

“It was a good experience,” said Joseph Jimenez, 20, of Red Oak and a Diesel Equipment Technology major. “You get to talk to the kids and they learn something and we learn something. It is important to know how an engine works.”

The contest had special meaning for Joshua York, 18, of Mexia and a first-year Diesel Equipment Technology major. He participated in FFA at Mexia High School where he did welding and raised pigs.

“It was a good experience for the high school students to see TSTC,” said York.

Sam Hall, 20, a Diesel Equipment Technology student from Weatherford, was the scorekeeper during the tractor troubleshooting. He said the students had to think within the allotted time how the tractors worked and what needed to be done to get them operating.

“The hardest part about being a mechanic is knowing what’s wrong,” Hall said.

Teams of three students took a written test, did a parts identification test and troubleshooted John Deere and Kubota tractors donated for the competition by Brazos Valley Equipment and Tipton International, both in Waco.

Individual and team winners received tools donated by Snap-on and Matco Tools, both of Waco, and NAPA in Bellmead.

TSTC offers Diesel Equipment Technology at the Waco, Fort Bend County, Marshall, North Texas and Sweetwater campuses. Apply today at tstc.edu. Registration for summer and fall semesters begins April 4.

The College Preview at TSTC in Waco will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, April 1 and Saturday, April 2. For more information go to tstc.edu/openhouse.