2023 NC SkillsUSA Masonry

Israel Burgarin of Columbus Career & College Academy is the 2023 Champion of the North Carolina SkillsUSA State Conference Masonry Competition held in April at the Greensboro Coliseum.  Pictured, top, left to right, NCMCA Executive Vice President Ryan Shaver; NCMCA President-Elect and Apprenticeship & Training Committee Chair Cliff McGee; Fifth Place Finisher Mason Ridenhour, East Rowan High School; Third Place O’Connor Leonard, West Rowan High School; new champion Israel Burgarin; Second Place Warren Jones, Jesse Carson High School; Leslie Maldonado, Fourth Place, Columbus Career & College Academy; Zair Perez Mora, Eighth Place, Central Cabarrus High School; NCMCA Past President Kent Huntley; and NCMCA President Bo Black.  Bottom row, left to right, Nicholas Sloop, Ninth Place, West Rowan High School; Colby Kirkland, Sixth Place, West Stanly High School; Tyriq Freeman, Tenth Place, Central Cabarrus High School; and Dylan Smith, Seventh Place, West Rowan High School.  Not pictured, Annayeli Dionisio won First Place in the Post-Secondary division and Abril Baza placed first in the Masonry Level One competition, both of Columbus Career & College Academy instructed by Fred Mason.  NCMCA’s Ryan Shaver says, “(Israel and Annayeli are) Fred Mason’s first state champions and Fred has been teaching for eleven years.  Fred said that the first contest he went to eleven years ago, his student competed in Masonry 1, where there were 28 contestants.  Fred’s student finished 26 out of 28 and that set him on a path to work hard with his students so that his program would be at the top one day. That day happened on April 19th, and Fred’s students won Masonry 1, Masonry Secondary and Masonry Post-Secondary.  Congratulations to Fred and his students!” Israel Burgarin and Annayeli Dionisio will represent North Carolina at the SkillsUSA National Masonry Championship competition in June at Atlanta. Photo by Jodi Helms