A team of two Maui High School students took ninth place at the 2010 Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills National Final at Ford World Headquarters in Dearborn, Mich. today.

Lewis Drapete and Bryson Higa, who qualified for the national finals at the state championship in April, went up against 49 other state teams in a competition to repair a rigged Ford Flex sports utility vehicle. Winners were also selected based on their performance in a written mechanical exam. The winning team came from North Dakota.

The Hawaii team took home $23,000 in scholarships to pursue post-secondary automotive studies. They also took home a trophy and assorted prizes.

Maui High School has been a fixture at the national  competition, qualifying for the finals for a total of 15 times and taking the national title in 1995 and 2000.