2003 International Masonry Skills Challenge

On March 15th, the fourth annual International Masonry Skills Challenge took place inside the Tampa Convention Center during the Masonry Showcase Exhibition. Twenty-two apprentices from the U.S. and Canada showed off their capabilities for three hours of intensive work constructing a project appropriate to their skill level.

After close scrutiny by the panel of judges using ten different criteria including plumb, level, square and range, and measurements, the winners were announced by the Chairman of the event, Don Attfield (Canadian Masonry Contractors Association, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada), for first-, second- and third-year apprentice skill levels.

The winners were:

First Year Apprentices

First Place

Darryl McNeil
E.G.S., Inc.

Second Place

John Nero
FB&S Masonry, Inc.

Third Place

Cruz Cervantes
Bickey Construction

Second Year Apprentices

First Place

Steve Koontz
Crest Masonry

Second Place

Kevin Willis
L.F. Jennings

Third Place

Luke Balsingh
Masonry Builders

Third Year Apprentices

First Place

Chris Sutherland
Red Brookshire of Florida

Second Place

Chris Coljohn
Medhurst Mason Contractors, Inc.

Third Place

Ryan Winkler
Canadian Mason Contractors Association

The event was made possible by donations of materials and prizes from Spec Mix, Marshalltown Trowel, Hanson Brick and CSR Rinker.