PHCC Educational Foundation Supports Plumbing, HVACR Contests at SkillsUSA Competition

Twelve top plumbing and HVACR students have received honors in the plumbing and HVACR competitions of the recent annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Contest.

The PHCC Educational Foundation supports the plumbing and HVACR contests each year. The Foundation’s Plumbing Apprentice and Journeyman Training Committee makes up the majority of the SkillsUSA Plumbing Technical Committee, and members were on hand to set up and help with contest judging. The PHCC Educational Foundation also has a representative on the SkillsUSA HVACR Technical Committee, who assists with set up and contest judging.

Throughout the week, nearly 6,100 secondary and post-secondary career and technical education students competed in more than 100 trades contests. This year’s plumbing honors went to:

• 1^st Place Secondary – Asher Chicoine, Smith Vocational & Agricultural High School, Northampton, Massachusetts
• 1^st Place Post-Secondary – Bourke Tarbet, Ogden-Weber Applied Technology College, Ogden, Utah
• 2^nd Place Secondary – Mason Steiner, Paso Robles High School, Paso Robles, California
• 2^nd Place Post-Secondary – Jacob McClelland, Putnam Career & Technical Center, Eleanor, West Virginia
• 3^rd Place Secondary – Tristan VanDyken, Careerline Tech Center, Holland, Michigan
• 3^rd Place Post-Secondary – Hunter Sweet, Elizabethtown Technical College, Elizabethtown, Kentucky

This year’s HVACR honors went to:

• 1^st Place Secondary – Joshua Haley, Spotsylvania Career & Technical Center, Spotsylvania, Virginia
• 1^st Place Post-Secondary – Ryan Gallagher, Ferris State University, Big Rapids, Michigan
• 2^nd Place Secondary – Nathan Zabrecky, Nelson County Area Technology Center, Bardstown, Kentucky
• 2^nd Place Post-Secondary – Peyton Sutton, Wiregrass Georgia Tech College, Valdosta, Georgia
• 3^rd Place Secondary – Hoyt Brown, Albert P. Brewer High School, Somerville, Alabama
• 3^rd Place Post-Secondary – Randy Schunk, Saint Cloud Technical and Community College, Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Technical Committee members for this year’s event included:

• Bob Carpenter, SharkTech Academy, Atlanta, Georgia (plumbing)
• Danny Crigler, L & D Associates, Inc., Aroda, Virginia (plumbing)
• Laurie Crigler, L & D Associates, Inc., Aroda, Virginia (plumbing)
• Lynn Faulkner, Kentucky Association of Master Contractors, Frankfort, Kentucky (plumbing)
• Robert Hahn, Co-Chair, Eastwick College, HoHoKus School of Trades, Union, New Jersey (plumbing)
• Merry Beth Hall, Co-Chair, PHCC Educational Foundation, Falls Church, Virginia (plumbing)
• Victor Hatcher, Tyler Pipe and Coupling, Tyler, Texas (plumbing)
• Tim House, Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, Frankfort, Kentucky (plumbing)
• Bill Jones, Raven Mechanical, Houston, Texas (plumbing)
• Harold Moret, Copper Development Association, Sarasota, Florida (plumbing)
• Patrick Peterson, SharkTech Academy, Atlanta, Georgia (plumbing)
• Dale Powell, Copper Development Association, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (plumbing)
• Joe Pritchard, Cast Iron Soil Pipe Institute, Waterford, Wisconsin (plumbing)
• Tony Senninger, Senninger Plumbing Co., Louisville, Kentucky (plumbing)
• Jamie Simpson, Schaal Heating & Cooling, Des Moines, Iowa (HVACR)
• Jim Steinle, Atomic Plumbing, Virginia Beach, Virginia (plumbing)
• James Walls, Cast Iron Soil Pipe Institute, Garland, Texas (plumbing)

The plumbing competition was made possible by the following generous industry sponsors:
Headline Sponsors: A. O. Smith; AB&I Foundry; American Supply Association; Copper Development Association, Inc.; Kohler; Tyler Pipe and Coupling; Viega, LLC and Zoeller Pump Co.

Additional prizes, materials and onsite support provided by: A. O. Smith; AB&I Foundry; American Supply Assn.; BrassCraft Manufacturing Co.; Calculated Industries; Carhartt; Cast Iron Soil Pipe Institute; Charlotte Pipe & Foundry; Copper Development Assn.; Delta Faucet Company; DEWALT Tools & Accessories; Harris Products Group; Irwin Industrial Tools; Kentucky Assn. of Master Contractors; Kohler; Lenox; Matheson Gas; Milwaukee Tool; Oatey; PHCC Educational Foundation; PHCC – National Association; Plumbers Supply Co.; RIDGID; Rothenberger USA; Senninger Plumbing Co.; SharkBite; Sioux Chief Manufacturing Co.; Southwire; Tyler Pipe and Coupling; UA Local 502; Viega, LLC; Wolverine Brass and Zoeller Pump Co.