Apprentices Show their 'Skills' to the Industry
Words: Dan KamysThe seventh annual International Masonry Skills Challenge at Masonry Showcase in Las Vegas showed off the best apprentices our industry has to offer. Twenty-two contestants from across the country came to compete in first, second, and third year skill levels. This year's designs were both innovative and difficult, as they incorporated stone and new patterns.
The final projects looked great, and the apprentices should be very proud of their three hours of hard work. The judges were very impressed with the quality of the apprentices' construction, and were tasked with the tough decision of choosing the winners. Here are the results:
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Daniel Sikorski |
First Year Apprentices
1st place: Daniel Sikorski
District Council Training Center, Addison, Illinois
2nd place: Elizabeth Cleckley
Baltimore Masonry, Eldersburg, Maryland
3rd place: Terrance Vaughn
Masonry Developers Inc., Rochester, Michigan
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Jason Thrift |
Second Year Apprentices
1st place: Jason Thrift
Karon Masonry, Beltsville, Maryland
2nd place: Renato Ramirez
Brazos Masonry Inc., Waco, Texas
3rd place: Esteban Gonzales
Rhino Masonry, Mesa, Arizona
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Juan Capitillo |
Third Year Apprentices
1st place: Juan Capitillo
DMG Masonry Inc., Arlington, Texas
2nd place: Josh Morrison
McGee Brothers Company Inc., Monroe, North Carolina
3rd place: Esteban Alarcon
Thomas Masonry, Valley Center, California
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MCAA would like to thank the judges from across the country for the donation of their expertise, and we would thank the sponsors and materials donors for their contributions.
Contest sponsors: Building Stone Institute, CEMEX, Cosella Doerken, EZ Grout, EZ Scaffold, Fraco, Gehl, JLG, Lafarge North America, MK Diamond Products, Mortar Net, Non-Stop Scaffolding, and Spec Mix.
Materials contributed by: Bon Tool, Buechel Stone, EZ Grout, Gatorback, Quikrete, Rinker, and Summit Brick.