Cherry Creek School District transportation employees took top honors at this year’s State Roadeo and Safety Competition, a contest that tests the skills of school bus drivers from across the state.
The Colorado State Pupil Transportation Association’s annual Bus Roadeo competition took place in Pueblo on June 13, and CCSD drivers shone in several categories. The contest featured a variety of events designed to test drivers’ skills, including clearance tests, precision driving exams, parallel parking exercises and a written portion.
In the Conventional Division, CCSD drivers swept the top three spots. Ray Goik won 1st place, James Buchanan won 2nd place and Wanda VanZonneveld won 3rd place. In the Special Needs Division, the team of Emily Redgate and Rahjohn Wognum won 2nd place, and the team of Richard Saenz and Shaunna Padula won 3rd place.
It’s not the first time that Cherry Creek Schools drivers have excelled at the annual competition. CCSD drivers have won top honors consistently over the past several years. The same drivers have won top honors over and over again during the past several years, and they attribute the success to the feeling of camaraderie that comes from being on the CCSD team.
“We have a family feeling,” past state champ Wanda VanZonnefeld said during a Roadeo competition several years ago. “It’s fun to come out here with them, because you get to practice and you get to know your bus. It makes you better as a driver.”
Congratulations to the drivers and to the entire CCSD Transportation Department!
