Louisville, Ky.  – 12 top plumbing and HVACR students received honors in the plumbing and HVACR competitions of the 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 postsecondary career and technical education students competed in more than 100 trades contests.

This year's plumbing honors went to:
 *   1st Place Secondary - Robert Fluke, Upper Cape Regional, Bourne, Mass.
 *   1st Place Post-Secondary - Jesse Hornback, Elizabethtown Technical College, Elizabethtown, Ky.
 *   2nd Place Secondary - Christian Weeks, Papillon LaVista South High School, Papillon, Neb.
 *   2nd Place Post-Secondary - Jonathan Hill, Ogden-Weber Applied Technology College, Ogden, Utah
 *   3rd Place Secondary - Mason Steiner, Paso Robles High School, Paso Robles, Cal.
 *   3rd Place Post-Secondary - Travis Slankard, Kansas City (KS) Community College Technical Education Center, Kansas City, Kan.

This year's HVACR honors went to:
 *   1st Place Secondary - Andrew Shupert, Warren County Career Center, Lebanon, Ohio
 *   1st Place Post-Secondary - Matthew Boden, Mitchell Technical Institute, Mitchell, S.D.
 *   2nd Place Secondary - Krzysztof Zamajtys, Eastern Suffolk BOCES - Milliken Technical Center, Oakdale, N.Y.
 *   2nd Place Post-Secondary - Josiah Tiegs, Saint Cloud Technical and Community College, Saint Cloud, Minn.
 *   3rd Place Secondary - Dustin Curtis, Red River Technology Center, Duncan, Okla.
 *   3rd Place Post-Secondary - Brandon Martin, Rowan Cabarrus Community College, Salisbury, N.C.

Technical committee members for this year's event included:
*         Robyn Bucknam, DEWALT Industrial Tool Co., Mooresville, N. C. (plumbing)
*         Bob Carpenter, SharkTech Academy, Atlanta, Ga. (plumbing)
*         Danny Crigler, L & D Associates, Inc., Aroda, Va. (plumbing)
*         Laurie Crigler, L & D Associates, Inc., Aroda, Va. (plumbing)
*         Robert Hahn, Co-Chair, Eastwick College, HoHoKus School of Trades, Union, N. J. (plumbing)
*         Merry Beth Hall, Co-Chair, PHCC Educational Foundation, Falls Church, Va. (plumbing)
*         Victor Hatcher, Tyler Pipe and Coupling, Tyler, Tex. (plumbing)
*         Tim House, Kentucky Association of Master Contractors, Frankfort, Ky. (plumbing)
*         Bill Jones, Raven Mechanical, Houston, Texas (plumbing)
*         Stephanie Kamba, Milwaukee Electric Tool Co., Brookfield, Wis. (plumbing)
*         Harold Moret, Copper Development Association, Braselton, Ga. (plumbing)
*         Dennis Peters, DKP Plumbing, Paso Robles, Cal. (plumbing)
*         Patrick Peterson, SharkTech Academy, Atlanta, Ga. (plumbing)
*         Dale Powell, Copper Development Association, Harrisburg, Pa. (plumbing)
*         Joe Pritchard, Cast Iron Soil Pipe Institute, Waterford, Wis. (plumbing)
*         Tony Senninger, Senninger Plumbing Co., Louisville, Ky. (plumbing)
*         Jamie Simpson, Schaal Heating & Cooling, Des Moines, Iowa (HVACR)
*         Jim Steinle, Atomic Plumbing, Virginia Beach, Va. (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; American Supply Association; Copper Development Association, Inc.; Kohler; Viega, LLC; and Zoeller Pump Co.

Additional prizes, materials and on-site support provided by: A. O. Smith; American Supply Assn.; BrassCraft Manufacturing Co.; Caddy; 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; NIBCO, Inc.; Oatey; PHCC Educational Foundation; PHCC - National Association; Plumbers Supply Co.; RIDGID/Ridge Tool Company; Rothenberger USA; Senninger Plumbing Co.; SharkBite; Sioux Chief Manufacturing Co.; Tyler Pipe; UA Local 502; Viega, LLC; and Zoeller Pump Co.

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