Apprentices Advance to BAC/IMI International Contest
JOURNAL: ISSUE 3 - 2015
The 2015 BAC/IMI Regional Apprentice Contests, held in various locations in May and June, featured a total of 172 BAC apprentices competing in eight crafts: Brick, Cement, Marble, Plaster, PCC/Restoration, Stone, Terrazzo and Tile.
Most of the winners of competitions in the Northeast, North Central and West, based on the number of active apprentices in each region, will advance to the International Apprentice Contest to be held September 11th and 12nd at the BAC/IMI International Training Center in Bowie, MD. Participating apprentices from Canadian Locals have been selected from Canada Skills Challenge held in May and by Local officers and Local training coordinators. The South has had to postpone sending contestants until the next contest cycle due to recent restructuring and the transitional status of its apprenticeship and training programs. (Apprentices pictured on the following pages will advance to the International unless otherwise noted.)
“For many participants, the Regional Contests are the final step of eligibility to the International contest where BAC apprentices will compete with members from both the U.S. and Canada for the title of International Champion in their respective trade. I wish the best of luck to all of them,” says Bob Arnold, IMTEF National Apprenticeship and Training Director.
The next issue of the Journal will feature winners of the International Apprentice Contest.
Northeast Region
The Northeast Regional Apprentice Contest kicked off with a Cement competition on May 7th, hosted by Local 5 New York, followed by the Terrazzo competition on May 14th at the Flynn Center, and Brick, Stone, Marble, Tile, PCC/Restoration competitions on May 30th at the Local 1 Pennsylvania/Delaware Training Center. In total, 63 contestants participated. Northeast Regional Director Al Catalano was on hand and presented the awards to the winners at two of the contest locations. “All contestants demonstrated a high level of craft skills and a strong sense of Union pride throughout the competitions,” said Catalano.
Brick The top performing bricklaying apprentices pictured here all earned a chance to compete at the International Contest in September. From left, BAC Northeast Regional Director Al Catalano; from Local 1 CT, President Gerry Marotti, 3rd place winner Fatjon Rapo, and 4th place winner Brandon Sotomayor; from Local 3 MA/ME/NH/RI, 2nd place winner Steven Quimby, President Chuck Raso, and 1st place winner Robert Burns; Zachary Mancuso and President Bucky Donkin of Local 9 PA; Brendon Potts and President Dennis Pagliotti of Local 1 PA/DE; and Eric Cipolla and President Bob Mantello of Local 2 NY/VT. |
Cement From left, 3rd place winner Dale Dion of Local 1 CT and 1st place winner Mason Cantamessa of Local 5 NY, both of whom will advance to the International Contest, and 2nd place winner Eric Cipolla of Local 2 NY/VT, who will compete at the International in the Brick competition. |
Marble From left, BAC Northeast Regional Director Al Catalano; from Local 1 MD/VA/DC, President Scott Garvin and 3rd place winner Victor Hernandez Mazariego; and from Local 7 NY/NY, 1st place winner Joseph Famighetti, 2nd place winner Barry Mullen, and Local 7 NY/NJ President Tom Lane. |
Stone From left, BAC Northeast Regional Director Al Catalano; from Local 1 NY, President Jerry Sullivan and 2nd place winner Craig Devin, 3rd place winner Roland Hibbs of Local 1 PA/DE and Local 1 President Dennis Pagliotti; 1st place winner Felipe Pinto De Madureira of Local 1 MD/VA/DC and Local 1 President Scott Garvin. |
PCC/Restoration
From left, BAC Northeast Regional Director Al Catalano; from Local 1 NY, President Jerry Sullivan, Jr. and 1st place winner Arkadiusz Sokolowski; Anthony Osbourne of Local 1CT; Kristine Azzoli and Timothy Crowe of Local 1 NY; from 3 MA/ME/NH/RI, 3rd place winner Cristian Marroquin, 2nd place winner Kyle DeSousa, and President Chuck Raso; and Local 1 CT President Gerry Marotti.
Terrazzo From left, 3rd place winner Timothy Pietrowski of Local 3 NY; from Local 7 NY/NJ, 1st place winner Felipe Pineda, 5th place winner Alex Weimer, and 2nd place winner Blake Price; and 4th place winner Brandon Brasili of Local 9 PA. Brothers Pineda, Price and Pietrowski will go on to compete in September. |
Tile From left, BAC Northeast Regional Director Al Catalano; Local 3 NY President Tony Diperna; from Local 3 MA MA/ME/NH/RI, President Chuck Raso and 2nd place winner Thomas Grondin; 1st place winner Daniel Oberfeldt of Local 7 NY/NJ; 3rd place winner Matt Walker of Local 3 NY; and Local 7 NY/NJ President Tom Lane. |
North Central Region
The Brick, Tile and Plaster portions of the North Central Region Apprentice Contest were hosted by Administrative District Council 1 of Illinois at the DCTC Training Center in Addison on May 30th. Cement, Marble, PCC/Restoration, and Terrazzo followed on June 6th, courtesy of the Ohio-Kentucky Administrative District Council, which hosted contestants at its Southern OH-KY ADC Training Center in Batavia. A total of 76 contestants participated in the Contest.
Brick
 From left, ADC 1 of IL President Jim Allen, Alan Box of Smith Level Company, 1st place winner Neal Hydeman of Local 15 MO/KS/NE, and IMTEF Regional Safety and Training Director Dave Wysocki. |
 From left, ADC 1 of IL President Jim Allen, 2nd place winner Jeff Price of Local 7 OH, Alan Box of Smith Level Company, and IMTEF Regional Safety and Training Director Dave Wysocki. |
 From left, ADC 1 of IL President Jim Allen, 3rd place winner Colby Shelkop of Local 15 MO/KS/NE, Alan Box of Smith Level Company and IMTEF Regional Safety and Training Director Dave Wysocki. |
Marble 1st place winner Jaymes Sanford of Local 5 OH. . |
Marble
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From left, 1st place winner Graham Lovelien of Local 19 WI, 2nd place winner Kurt Kazik of Local 3 WI and 3rd place Adam Babic of Local 16 OH.
PCC/Restoration
From left, 2nd place winner Alex Latanza of Local 18 OH, 1st place winner Chase Owens of Local 5 OH, and 3rd place winner John Garnett of Local 18 OH.
Terrazzo
1st place winner Kevin Marcum of Local 4 IN/KY, 2nd place winner Travis Knight of Local 22 OH, and 3rd place winner Taylor Conrad of Local 5 OH.
Plaster From left, ADC 1 of IL President Jim Allen, 1st place winner Efren Beltran of Local 56 IL, Alan Box of Smith Level Company, and IMTEF Regional Safety and Training Director Dave Wysocki. |
Tile ADC 1 of IL President Jim Allen, 1st place winner Cody McGraw of Local 21 IL, Alan Box of Smith Level Company, and IMTEF Regional Safety and Training Director Dave Wysocki. |
Plaster From left, ADC 1 of IL President Jim Allen, 2nd place winner Stanley Slawnikowski of Local 56 IL, Alan Box of Smith Level Company, and IMTEF Regional Safety and Training Director Dave Wysocki. |
Tile ADC 1 of IL President Jim Allen, 2nd place winner Zach Combs of Local 4 IN/KY, Alan Box of Smith Level Company, and IMTEF Regional Safety and Training Director Dave Wysocki. |
Plaster From left, ADC 1 of IL President Jim Allen, 3rd place winner Alejandro Medina of Local 56 IL, Alan Box of Smith Level Company, and IMTEF Regional Safety and Training Director Dave Wysocki. |
Tile From left, ADC 1 of IL President Jim Allen, Alan Box of Smith Level Company, 3rd place winner Jeremy Joa of Local 1 MN/ND, and IMTEF Regional Safety and Training Director Dave Wysocki. |
West Region
Co-hosted by Locals 4 and 18 California, the West competition, which is held annually and is better known as the Western States Apprentice Contest, took place in Arcadia, CA on June 6th. Contestants competed in Brick, Marble, PCC/Restoration, and Tile.
Brick
Kevin O’Dell of Local 4 CA took the 1st place. Attila Kovacs of Local 2 WA/ID/MT and Xavier Adame of Local 4 CA finished the 2nd and the 3rd respectively.
Marble From left, Local 4 CA Apprentice Director Gary Anthony; Local 18 CA Apprentice Coordinator Wayne McAdam; from Local 4 CA, 1st place winner James Cerda, 2nd place winner Rudy Gaxiola, and President Dick Whitney; and Local 18 CA President Chad Boggio. |
PCC/Restoration Jose Gomez of Local 3 CA took 1st place, 2nd place went to Seth Callaway of Local 1 OR and the 3rd place to Justin Fuquay of Local 4 CA. |
Brick
The 1st and 2nd place winners were Local 18 CA members Nick Granger and Alex Heredia. Local 3 CA member David Salas placed 3rd.