Twelve top plumbing and HVACR students have received honors in the plumbing and HVACR competitions of the annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Championships, held in Louisville, Kentucky.

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 two representatives on the SkillsUSA HVACR Technical Committee, who assists with set up and contest judging. Plumbing competitors and their advisors participated in a tour of nearby Zoeller Pump Company as a part of their contest experience this year, learning about how pumps operate and are manufactured.

Throughout the week, nearly 6,400 secondary and post-secondary career and technical education students competed in more than 103 trades contests. This year’s plumbing honors went to:

• 1^st Place Secondary – Michael Moran, Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School, Charlton, Massachusetts

• 1^st Place Post-Secondary – Keith Ashby, Davis Technical College, Kaysville, Utah

• 2^nd Place Secondary – Jacob Brannan, Putnam Career & Technical Center, Eleanor, West Virginia

• 2^nd Place Post-Secondary – Brian Ehly, Williamson College of the Trades, Media, Pennsylvania
• 3^rd Place Secondary – Levi Moon, Norwich Technical High School, Norwich, Connecticut
• 3^rd Place Post-Secondary – Brent Offenberger, Rowan Cabarrus Community College, Salisbury, North Carolina

This year’s HVACR honors went to:

• 1^st Place Secondary – Ryan Oliver, Gloucester County Institute of Technology, Sewell, New Jersey
• 1^st Place Post-Secondary – Blaine Feeler, State Technical College of Missouri, Linn, Missouri
• 2^nd Place Secondary – Jack Carter, Franklin Technology Center, Joplin, Missouri
• 2^nd Place Post-Secondary – Owen Dougherty, Penn College of Technology, Williamsport, Pennsylvania
• 3^rd Place Secondary – Caleb Keebler, Lancaster County Career @ Tech Center – Brownstown, Brownstown, Pennsylvania
• 3^rd Place Post-Secondary – Alex Myers, Rowan Cabarrus Community College, Salisbury, North Carolina

Technical committee members for this year’s event included:

• Timothy Atkins, PHCC Educational Foundation, Falls Church, Virginia (plumbing)
• Angela Collins, PHCC Educational Foundation, Falls Church, Virginia (plumbing)
• Danny Crigler, L & D Associates, Inc., Aroda, Virginia (plumbing)
• Lynn Faulkner, Kentucky Association of Master Contractors, Frankfort, Kentucky (plumbing)
• Roman Grier, Cast Iron Soil Pipe Institute, Atlanta, Georgia (plumbing)
• Robert Hahn, Co-Chair, Eastwick College, HoHoKus School of Trades, Union, New Jersey (plumbing)
• Victor Hatcher, Tyler Pipe and Coupling, Tyler, Texas (plumbing)
• Warren Lupson, Lupson Assoc., Silver Spring, Maryland (HVACR)
• Harold Moret, Copper Development Association, Sarasota, Florida (plumbing)
• Dale Powell, Copper Development Association, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (plumbing)
• Tony Senninger, Senninger Plumbing Co., Louisville, Kentucky (plumbing)
• Jamie Simpson, Schaal Heating & Cooling, Des Moines, Iowa (HVACR)
• Maureen Vasquez, Co-Chair, PHCC Educational Foundation, Falls Church, Virginia (plumbing)
• James Walls, Cast Iron Soil Pipe Institute, Garland, Texas (plumbing)

The competition was made possible by the following generous industry sponsors:

Headline Sponsors: A. O. Smith; AB&I Foundry; American Supply Association; Bradford White; Copper Development Association, Inc.; Kohler; Tyler Pipe and Coupling; Viega, LLC; and Zoeller Pump Co.

Additional prizes, materials and on-site support provided by: A. O. Smith; AB&I Foundry; American Supply Assn.; BrassCraft Manufacturing Co.; Calculated Industries; Cast Iron Soil Pipe Institute; Charlotte Pipe & Foundry; Copper Development Assn.; DEWALT Tools & Accessories; Ferguson; Greenlee; Irwin Industrial Tools; Kentucky Assn. of Master Contractors; Kohler; Lenox; Milwaukee Tool; Mueller Industries; Oatey; PHCC Educational Foundation; Plumbers Supply Co.; RIDGID; Senninger Plumbing Co.; Sioux Chief Manufacturing Co.; Tyler Pipe and Coupling; UA Local 502; Viega, LLC; and Zoeller Pump Co.