Christian Kluttz (left,) an apprentice with Huntley Brothers Company of Mint Hill, is the winner of the 2023 Mason Contractors Association of America (MCAA) Masonry Skills Challenge, Third Year Division, held at the Las Vegas World of Concrete in January.  He is pictured with Chet Huntley of Huntley Brothers Company.  Kluttz, a former Mount Pleasant High School masonry student, won the right to represent North Carolina in the Skills Challenge by winning the May 2022 NCMCA Annual Samuel A. McGee Masonry Apprentice Skills Contest.  Finishing in second place in the third-year division was Garrick Manning of Columbus, Ohio followed by Douglas Stamper of Merrillville, Indiana in third place.  Melvin Marroquin of Warren, Michigan won the first-year division and Ryan Newton of St. Louis won the second-year division in the MCAA Skills Challenge.  At Las Vegas, Kluttz also won the SPEC MIX Jr. Bricklayer competition.  Christian Kluttz lives in Mount Pleasant and is the son of Kima and David Kluttz.   Photo by Jodi Helms