LATHAM, N.Y. — The New York School Bus Contractors Association (NYSBCA) announced the top finishers in the 48th Annual New York State School Bus Safety Competition, held on Saturday in Valley Cottage.

“The 48th Annual New York State School Bus Safety Competition, the largest and only statewide competition of its kind in New York, was a huge success,” said Corey Muirhead, president of the NYSBCA. “Every driver who took part in the competition not only demonstrated tremendous knowledge about student safety, they displayed exceptional driving skills that set the standard for all school bus drivers to follow.”

Nearly 80 drivers took part in the competition. Each competed in a specific school bus division, from large buses (Type C and Type D) to smaller vehicles (Type A).

The day began with a comprehensive written exam on school bus safety, and throughout the afternoon drivers tested their skills with a variety of hands-on activities, including vehicle inspections, loading and unloading students, operating a school bus through various driving courses, and managing railroad crossings.

Here are this year’s winners in each category:

Conventional Bus (Type C):
1st: Cynthia Peters, Huntington Coach Corp.
2nd: Karen Lucadamo, Suffolk Transportation Service
3rd: Woody Rexford, Rolling V Bus Corp.
4th: Joyce Olenick, We Transport/Towne Bus
5th: Adene DuBois, We Transport

Small Bus (Type A):
1st: Marlon Forrester, Towne Bus
2nd: Yvenson Maignan, Chestnut Ridge Transportation – Spring Valley
3rd: Shannon Darragh, We Transport/Towne Bus
4th: Charmaine Noronha, Suffolk Transportation Service
5th: James J. Baumer, We Transport

Transit Bus (Type D):
1st: Jose Torres, We Transport/Towne Bus
2nd: Dan Farley, Quality Bus/Durham School Services
3rd: Ralph Stephens, Rolling V Bus Corp.
4th: Jenny Reinoso, Suffolk Transportation Service
5th: Joseph Cherubin, Chestnut Ridge Transportation – Pomona

2019 Rookie of the Year:
Marlon Forrester, Towne Bus

“These drivers are the very reason why a school bus is the safest vehicle on the road,” Muirhead added.

He also said that students are about 70 times more likely to get to school safely when taking a school bus instead of traveling by car.

The winners of the competition are now eligible to compete in the National School Transportation’s (NSTA) International School Bus Driver Safety Competition in Austin, Texas, on July 20 and 21.