Wriston McGee Wins First Place at the North Carolina SMBL500 Regional Event!

McGee Claims North Carolina’s “Best Bricklayer” title!

Monroe, NC – Mason Wriston McGee worked alongside his mason tender Harah McGee with McGee Brother’s masonry to claim the “Best Bricklayer” title. The McGee team laid an impressive 742 bricks in just 60-minutes. For their efforts, they won $400, a Marshalltown Bag filled with gear, an etched trowel, and a Gator Mortar Board. In addition to these prizes, the McGee team secured their spot to compete at the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500® World Championship, taking place in Las Vegas at the World of Concrete Tradeshow, on January 18th, 2023.

Across North America throughout the year, hundreds of teams will compete at one of the 22 regional events. They have one chance to prove they have what it takes to claim their tickets to compete at the World Championship Event. They can contend at one regional event, one time, and must obtain the first-place position to snag their spot to battle at what is known as the Super Bowl of Masonry. Each team is given 60-minutes and a 26-foot-wide setting to build the tallest brick wall with the least amount of craftsmanship errors. Teams consist of one mason and one mason tender, and those who qualify for Vegas will wrangle to win part of $125,000 in cash and prizes, such as a new Ford F-250 4×4 Truck, Kubota RTV-X1140, Essick Pro12 mortar mixer, and of course the title of “World’s Best Bricklayer.”

Second place at the BL500 regional in North Carolina was mason Grant Helms and mason tender Anderson Pruett with Helms Masonry. Close behind, this team laid 714 bricks, winning them $300, a Marshalltown bag filled with gear, an Etched Trowel, and a Gator Back Mortar Board. In third place was mason Cody Alward and mason tender Hazin Alward with Alward Masonry Contractors. The Alward team won $250, a Marshalltown bag filled with gear, and a Gator Back Mortar Board. The title of “Top Craftsman” went to mason Keith Helms and mason tender Scott Helms with Helms Masonry. This team had a zero-deduction wall. For their perfect wall, they received $350, and a Marshalltown bag.

During the SMBL500 regional, the JR. BL500 took place. The JR. BL500 is a shortened rendition of the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 competition. Here, students and apprentices demonstrate their masonry skills. With 20-minutes on the clock, these competitors will lay as many bricks as they can with the fewest craftsmanship errors possible. In first place for the JR. BL500 was bricklayer Mason Ridenhour and mason tender Braxton Smith with East Rowan High School. This team laid 293 bricks and won $200, as well as a Marshalltown and Spec Mix bag filled with gear and promo items. In addition to these prizes, this team won a 4-foot Stabila Level. In second place, were mason Israel Burgarin and mason tender Leslie Maldonado with Columbus Career & College Academy. This team laid 276 bricks winning them $150, a Marshalltown and Spec Mix bag filled with gear and promo items. Lastly, in third place were mason O’Connor Leonard and mason tender Dillion Smith with West Rowan High School. Close behind, they laid 260 bricks, winning them $100, as well as a Marshalltown and Spec Mix bag filled with gear and promo items.

Disclosures:
In 2019, the SPEC MIX organization partnered with other masonry associations to create the Junior SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 Competition. This year of the 22 Regional Series competitions, 12 will also hold Junior BRICKLAYER 500 contests that give high school and masonry apprentices the chance to compete for their state title. The program has proven remarkably successful and highly supported by the Mason Contractors Association of America, school administrators and numerous masonry supply manufacturers and dealers. To learn more, visit https://www.specmix.com/jr-spec-mix-bricklayer-500/.

If you are interested in becoming a fan, the 21st annual SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 World Championship will take place on January 18th, 2023, at the World of Concrete tradeshow in Las Vegas; the Las Vegas Convention Center Bronze Lot. At this competition, you will see 26 world-class masons lay it all on the line to claim their portion of the total purse valued at more than $125,000. Prizes include: a new Ford F-250 4×4 Super Duty truck, Kubota RTV-X1140, Multiquip Pro 12 Mortar Mixer, and other prizes from Hilti, IQ Power Tools, Stabila, Marshalltown, STIHL, Blaklader Workwear, and Belden Brick.

If you have any questions, or would like to set up an interview with any of the competitors, please contact Brian Carney at 612-859-4505 or by email at Brian.Carney@specmix.com

SPEC MIX is your North American source for high quality, factory produced cement-based building materials that are preblended for the construction industry. SPEC MIX products are precisely engineered to meet ASTM and building code requirements. Projects designed for the installation of brick, CMU, stone, stucco or building repair and restoration, SPEC MIX offers a full line of products packaged in 80 & 3,000-pound bags produced with state-of-the-art batching equipment to ensure quality and consistency from start to finish. For optimal jobsite efficiency, safety, and productivity, we provide contractors with numerous silo material mixing systems that maximize a contractor’s cost savings, safety and profitability. For more information, visit www.specmix.com.

2022 SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 NORTH CAROLINA REGIONAL RESULTS

2022 JUNIOR SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 NORTH CAROLINA REGIONAL RESULTS