2020 SpecMix Bricklayer 500 Regional Event Winners
The 2020 Bricklayer500 Regional Competition was held at Midwest Brick & Block on Saturday, October 10, 2020. All 7teams competing were Union members employed by Bricklayers Local 1 of Missouri Signatory Contractors. This year, the event was expanded to include a Blocklaying competition, "The Fastest Hands on the Block", as well as an Apprentice Contest, consisting of 9 Local 1 Apprentices, 3 per term year.
Photos courtesy of SpecMix, MCA Executive Director Dave Gillick and ADC Office Administrator Amy Dickey.
Shown above are Local 1 Journeyman Bricklayer Javier Chacon and his mason tender Steve Braswell (John Smith Masonry), who won first place with a brick count of 567 and will advance to the World Championships in Las Vegas in January 2020. Brother Chacon also won the Craftsman Award, which goes to the team with the wall with the least amount of imperfections.
The full list of Bricklayer 500 winners is below.
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APPRENTICE COMPETITION
This year is the first year we included an Apprentice Competition in the Bricklayer500 Event. Our Apprentice Competition consisted of 9 total Apprentices, 3 from Levels 1 and 2, 3 from Levels 3 and 4 and 3 from Levels 5 and 6. Each group had a different project to complete with their finished products being judged by Local 1 Signatory Contractor Martin Heck, our ADC Secretary-Treasurer John Hopkin, and our Local 1 Business Agents Mike Fox, Johnny Walker and Mark Savage.
We’d also like to give a special thanks to Apprentices Cyril Jennewein, Robert Coleman and Ryan Malcinski for volunteering their time to assist as Mason Tenders for the contest.
The winners of the Apprentice Competition were:
[caption caption="Oscar Hernandez"][/caption][caption caption="Isaiah Bell"][/caption][caption caption="Devlan Noonan"][/caption]
First Year Contest: Oscar Hernandez (Level 2, Heitkamp Masonry)
Also competing were Isaiah Bell (Level 1, Leonard Masonry) and Devlan Noonan (Level 1, Leonard Masonry)
[caption caption="Joel Flickinger"][/caption][caption caption="Richard Cooksey"][/caption][caption caption="Steve Sliger"][/caption]
Second Year Contest: Steve Sliger (Level 3, Wright Masonry)
Also competing were Richard Cooksey (Level 4, John Smith Masonry) and Joel Flickinger (Level 3, Leonard Masonry)
[caption caption="Gary Johnson, Jr."][/caption][caption caption="Brennan Jennewein"][/caption][caption caption="Josh Rehme"][/caption]Third Year Contest: Josh Rehme (Level 5, Patrico Masonry)
Also competing were Brennan Jennewein (Level 5, Heitkamp Masonry) and Gary Johnson, Jr. (Level 6, Lampkin Masonry)
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BLOCKLAYING COMPETITION
There was also a new Blocklaying competition this year, with our competitors speed-laying as many block as they can within 20 minutes, with 5 minutes to strike prior to judging. The winner of this competition, JT Payne (Foeste Masonry) is a familar name in the winner's circle and will also be going on the Championships in Las Vegas.
The winners of the Blocklaying Competition were:
First Place: JT Payne (Foeste Masonry)
Second Place: Ryan Spurgeon (Swanson Masonry)
And Tied for 3rd Place: Jason Jennewein (John Smith Masonry) and Jason Korman (Leonard Masonry)
Congratulations to all winners and participants, we are proud to have you represent us as the "Best Hands in the Business!" Lots more photos of all three competitions can be found here, under the Events tab.