NCCER Crowns 2018 SkillsUSA National Carpentry and Masonry Competition Winners

NCCER is proud to recognize the winners of this year’s SkillsUSA national carpentry and masonry competitions. The winners were announced on June 29 at the 54th annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. 

More than 6,500 outstanding career and technical education (CTE) students competed in 102 different craft, technical and leadership fields. The competitions were part of the SkillsUSA Championships, which is the national-level competition for secondary and postsecondary students enrolled in CTE programs. Students not only test their knowledge and skills against industry standards, but are given the opportunity to compete against peers in their craft. 

2018 marked the ninth year that NCCER has sponsored the national carpentry competition and its sixth year sponsoring the national masonry competition. Carpentry Technical Committee Chair Boyd Worsham of The Haskell Company and Masonry Technical Committee Co-Chairs Jeff Buczkiewicz of Mason Contractors Association of America and Ryan Shaver of North Carolina Masonry Contractors Association led the way in organizing this year’s events. 

NCCER is proud to congratulate the winners from both contests. This year’s carpentry competition featured 71 secondary and postsecondary competitors. The high school medalists were:

• Nicholas Ruff of Jefferson City, Missouri (gold)
• Kadin Stowers of Rathdrum, Idaho (silver)
• Lucas Johnson of Manchester, Connecticut (bronze)

Postsecondary medalists were:

• Dylan Giager of Fort Scott, Kansas (gold)
• Mitchell Davis of Wellsville, New York (silver)
• Dylan Bauguess of Wilkesboro, North Carolina (bronze)

Additionally, 54 masonry competitors challenged their skills this year. The high school medalists were:

• Mason Saunders of Mount Pleasant, North Carolina (gold)
• Cole Christadore of Danielson, Connecticut (silver)
• Cole Rains of Eureka Springs, Arizona (bronze)

Postsecondary medalists were:

• Ashton White of Salisbury, North Carolina (gold)
• Bryce Dean of Media, Pennsylvania (silver)
• Jake Freeman of Selma, Alabama (bronze)

Winners of both competitions were decided based on the combined results of a written exam and evaluation of the competition project by a panel of journey-level judges. The contests are planned by technical committees made up of industry representatives to test the skills needed for successful entry level performance as a carpenter or mason. Due to their tremendous importance, safety practices and procedures were also judged as a component of each contestant’s overall score. 

Members of the 2018 national technical committee for carpentry included Terry Westerman of ClarkDeitrich Building Systems; Robyn Bucknam of DEWALT; Boyd Worsham of The Haskell Company; Jay Wetterhus of Morton Buildings, Inc.; Tracy Chambers of Nabholz; and Steve Greene of NCCER. 

The education team that assisted the carpentry committee included Troy Rupp, Beth Zimmerman and Les Zimmerman from Alexandria Technical and Community College in Minnesota. 

Members of the 2018 national technical committee for masonry included Bryan Light of BIA Southeast; John Bongiovanni of Bon Tools; Ray Leonard of The Brick Industry Association; Greg Ferree of Lehigh; Kim Haley of Marshalltown Co.; Jeff Buczkiewicz of Mason Contractors Association of America; Tim O’Toole of Mason Contractors Association of America; Bob Melton of Masonry Institution of Tennessee; Rolly Cox of Multiquip; Jason Thompson of National Concrete Masonry Association; Ryan Shaver of North Carolina Masonry Contractors Association; Dan Belcher of NCCER; Peter Kiley of Oldcastle Architectural; Nick Blohowiak of Spec Mix; Brian Carney of Spec Mix; and Daniel Furr of Stalite. 

The education team that assisted the masonry committee included Al Herndon of Florida Masonry Apprentice & Educational Foundation; Toni Herndon of Florida; Dan Hiltebeitel of Pennsylvania; Curtis Hoover of Center of Applied Technology North, Maryland; Todd Larson of Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College; Richard McKnight of South Carolina; and Richard Nagy of Ohio. 

NCCER would like to thank the following organizations for their generous financial support and prize donations for this year’s carpentry competition: 

Associated Builders and Contractors; The Associated General Contractors of America; Bahco; Bechtel; Build Your Future; Calculated Industries; Cianbro; ClarkDietrich Building Systems; Crossland Construction Company; Day & Zimmerman; DEWALT; Fluor; The Haskell Company; Irwin Tools; ISN; Kiewit; Klein Tools; Malco; Marek; McCarthy Holdings, Inc.; Milwaukee Tools; Morton Buildings, Inc.; Nabholz; NEF NAWIC Education Foundation; North American Crane Bureau; Pearson; Prov; S&B Engineers and Constructors; Smith Level Company; Snap-on; Stiletto Tool Company; Sundt; and Yates Construction. 

NCCER would like to thank the following organizations for their generous financial support and prize donations for this year’s masonry competition:

A.C. Krebs Co.; Belden Brick Company; BON Tools; The Brick Industry Association; Brixment; Build Your Future; Calculated Industries; iQ Power Tools; JagClamp; Marshalltown; Mason Contractors Association of America; Masonry Institute of Tennessee; Milwaukee Tools; Multiquip; National Concrete Masonry Association; Oldcastle Architectural; Pearson; Portland Cement Association; Spec Mix; Stabila; and Stalite.