FRISCO, Texas — Plano Independent School District located just miles from the TSD Conference this weekend claimed the top two spots in the annual roadeo and training competition as Texas continued its dominance of the event.

The team of Andwain Coleman and Mohmed Omera tied coworkers Mohsen Al Asad and Nabila Audi with scores of 889 out of a possible 1,020 points. Alexandra Robinson, the lead coordinator for the roadeo organizer Women in Transportation. (wit.) group and a TSD Conference Tenured Faculty member, said during a banquet Saturday night hosted by lead sponsor Q’Straint/Sure-Lok that the roadeo judges broke the tie by comparing times for finishing the event.

Coleman and Omera clinched the victory as their time was six minutes faster than that of Al Asad and Audi. Robinson said it was the first time in the roadeo’s 30-year history that such a tiebreaker was needed. It was the fourth consecutive win for a Texas team over the dating back to 2019. The competition was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The team of Elizabeth Berninger and Jennifer Gue representing the Washington Association for Pupil Transportation took home third place with a score of 885 points. Ten teams competed at host Frisco ISD in 9 events or stations and also took a written test.

Coleman finished second in last year’s competition and said he partnered with Omera earlier this year after his previous partner was promoted to a different position. It was Coleman’s third consecutive year competing in the event. This was Omera’s second national competition.

When asked about their confidence following the competition, Coleman said, “Ain’t nobody perfect, I know we had some mess ups there, but I know overall we did pretty good.”

Coleman and Omera both have been driving for Plano ISD for the past six school years, with Coleman previously driving a truck for 20 years.

Looking ahead, Coleman and Omera confirmed they plan to compete at the roadeo competition and training next year, as they already won their Texas district competition. The next step is competing in regionals in March.

When discussing the challenges of their Plano ISD school bus routes, Coleman and Omera cited student behavior and other motorists on the road as the biggest daily challenges they face.

Related: Texas Teams Dominate Roadeo Competition Held at TSD Conference
Related: Texas Team Wins Return of TSD Roadeo from COVID-19 Hiatus
Related: TSD: Texas Team Takes Home First Place in National TSD Roadeo

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Registration is open for the annual roadeo training and competition held during the Transporting Students with Special Needs and Disabilities (TSD) Conference.

Presented by School Transportation News and Women in Transportation (wit.), and sponsored by Q’Straint/Sure-Lok, the event invites any transportation teams of drivers and attendants from across North America to participate, even if they have never participated in a previous state, provincial or national roadeo competition. The only pre-requisite is that participating teams download and complete the Roadeo Competition Knowledge Test and bring it with them to the event.

The roadeo competition will begin on Friday, Nov. 8 with a Hands-On Securement Training provided by Q’Straint/SURE-LOK. On Saturday, Nov. 9, roadeo teams will be transported to Frisco Independent School District for the competition, which will be followed by an evening Roadeo Competition Banquet & Awards ceremony.

The teams will conduct real passenger pickups, railroad crossing, parking in a confined space, and handling an unauthorized parent boarding the school bus. The student passengers are played by adult volunteers portraying various special needs or disabilities such as visual or hearing impairment or intellectual disabilities. Teams will be judged based on factors such as pre-check inspection, wheelchair loading and securement, child safety restraint securement, and the handling of simulated emergency events.

Read more about the 2023 Roadeo Competition Winners

Teams will attend a Sunday, Nov. 10 debriefing meeting with roadeo judges.

All roadeo teams are invited to attend the TSD Trade Show Tailgate Reception as well as the trade show on Monday. They will also receive entry to any educational sessions and events held Friday through Sunday, including the “De-escalation with Dignity” workshop as well as the Lunch and Learn, afternoon educational sessions and the Safety & Technology Product Demonstration & Special Needs Ride & Drive.

A full schedule and list of other conference sessions that roadeo-only registrants may attend is available at www.tsdconference.com/roadeo.

In addition to the roadeo, this year’s TSD Conference will feature over two dozen educational sessions and workshops, hands-on wheelchair and child securement training, product demonstrations, a trade show and other networking opportunities with peers and vendors.

Save $100 on main conference registration with the Early Bird Discount, available through Oct.4. Visit tsdconference.com to register and view the conference agenda. The TSD Conference will be held Nov. 7 through Nov. 12.

Related: Behavior Expert Brings Special Needs De-Escalation Tools to TSD Conference
Related: Mulick Returns to TSD Conference to Help Student Transporters Better Understand Autism
Related: Emotions Run High During TSD Conference School Bus Evacuation Class

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