GOLD HILL -- The call for "trowels up" and then a shout of "go" could be heard as the North Carolina Regional Qualifier was set to begin at this year's SPEC MIX Bricklayer 500 and North Carolina Masonry Education Day.
Additional brick walls had already gone up by high school teams in other competitions held earlier that morning at Ben Ketchie Park, located on Old Beatty Ford Road, Gold Hill, where the ninth annual event was held.
Ryan Shaver of the North Carolina Masonry Contractors Association started this event, which, as noted in a release, "provides high school students with an opportunity to experience live demonstrations on the masonry industry's most innovative equipment and tools used on jobsites."
Shaver had all types of businesses from the industry there showing the various equipment including hydraulic scaffolding, or heavy equipment and power tools. Attendees could visit the various booths where the companies were stationed throughout the park during the event.
Twenty-four area schools participated in the competition. These schools all have masonry at their high school, said Shaver and these students are currently enrolled in a masonry class in North Carolina today.
A couple surprise builders, which entertained the crowd, were two of the pigs, who worked on a block house. But the big wolf came to interrupt their plans to get it completed.
The park was filled with those competing teams along with other spectators, watching the events which took place throughout the day.
Multiple events took place before lunch, including the NCMCA Jr. Block Layer Beginner contest, which started the day at 8:45 a.m. until 9:55, followed by the SPEC MIX Jr. Bricklayer who were given 40 minutes to build their wall, the NCMCA Jr. Block Layer contests with the intermediate group given an hour and advanced was allowed 30 minutes to build, and the SPEC MIX Bricklayer 500 North Carolina Regional Qualifier during which time competitors are given an hour to build their walls.
This regional series in Gold Hill, as noted on the SPEC MIX website, was one of the 22 qualifying regional competitions with the first place winner in each advancing to Las Vegas for the championship finale.
After lunch, the final two competitions were held. These were the NCMCA Jr. Block Layer team, which is allowed 20 minutes and the NCMCS Instructor Challenge gets 30 minutes in their contests with an awards ceremony ending the day.
In the Journeyman SPEC MIX Bricklayer 500, the first place winner was Ridenhour Masonry with bricklayer Mason Ridenhour and tender Micheal Ridenhour. They had an adjusted brick count of 789 and received $800.
Second place went to Helms Masonry with bricklayer Grant Helms and tender Keith Helms. They had an adjusted brick county of 775 and received $500.
Third place winner was McGee Brothers, who also won the Craftsman Award, with bricklayer Winston McGee and tender Darren Eagle. They received $400 for each award.
In the Junior Bricklayer category, first place went to Jesse Carson High School with bricklayer Ethan Eddings and tender Garret Watkins. They had an adjusted brick count of 321 and received $300.
Second place went to East Rowan High School with bricklayer Ty Sweatt and tender Colin Quick. They had an adjusted brick count of 298 and received $200.
Third place winner was Columbus Career & College Academy with bricklayer Gaberial Key and tender Jaedyn Voss. They had an adjusted brick count of 249 and received $150.
This is the second year to have the NCMCA Block Layer competition with three students working together including a mason and two tenders.
First place went to Columbus Career & Academy with mason Hector Garcia and tenders Aydin Merry and Abril. They received $300.
Second place was East Rowan High School with mason Colton Head and tenders Grayson Blackwelder and Jace Shepherd. They received $250.