ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. — Two familiar names rose to the fore at this year's America's Best School Bus Technician and Inspector competition, held here last week.

Indiana's Alan Fidler took first in the school bus tech category, while West Virginia's Jack Defibaugh won the inspector category. Both were also named America's Best in last year's competition.

The America's Best event, developed by the National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT), includes written exams, diagnostic troubleshooting, vehicle inspection and training workshops.

Here are the results from the 2012 competition:

TECHNICIANS
1st — Alan Fidler, Tippecanoe School Corp., Lafayette, Ind.
2nd — Steve Addison Jr., Coweta County (Ga.) Schools
3rd — John Maxwell, Dallas Center – Grimes Community School District, Dallas Center, Iowa

INSPECTORS
1st — Jack Defibaugh, Greenbrier County (W.Va.) Schools
2nd — Danny Reed, Beaufort County (N.C.) Schools
3rd — Shane Cochran, Jefferson County (Ala.) Schools

This year's America's Best, the ninth annual edition, was hosted by Cummins at its engine facility in Rocky Mount. Hydrotex and Zonar provide scholarships for the winners to attend the NAPT Summit.

For more information on America's Best, go to www.americasbesttech.org.