Jason McKinney wins Western Penn’s SPEC MIX Bricklayer 500 Regional Competition!

Jason McKinney claims “Western Penn’s Best Bricklayer” title.

 On September 25^th, 2025, in Pittsburgh, PA, mason Jason McKinney and tender Ryan Burdette with Stewart Masonry took first place and won Top Craftsman at the SMBL500 Western Penn Regional event. Now they will move forward to compete in the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500® Championship in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the World of Concrete Tradeshow! 

 The duo topped the competition by laying 392 bricks in 60 minutes. This team’s skills and speed won them the “Western Penn’s Best Bricklayer” award as well as the Top Craftsman Award for a total of $3,200 in prize money while securing their tickets to Vegas.

 The 2025 Regional Series includes 22 events throughout the United States and Canada. To qualify for the SMBL500 event in Las Vegas, teams will compete at one of the 22 individual regionals and battle for first place to secure their spot in the national competition. The teams consist of one mason and one tender; working on a 26-foot-wide wall, they have 60 minutes to lay as much brick as possible with the fewest craftsmanship errors. These teams are only allowed to compete once at one regional event throughout the year, and each duo that wins first place will advance to what is known as the “Superbowl of Masonry.” At the World Championship, they will compete to win part of $150,000 in cash in prizes, including a 4 x 4 Truck, Kubota RTV X-Cab, an Essick Pro12 mixer, and of course, the title, “World’s Best Bricklayer.”

 Second Place went to mason Randall Hart and tender Craig Smith with Bane Masonry. The team won $900 for second place. Third place went to mason Guadelupe Lopez and tender David Jesus Romero with Arch Masonry winning them a total of $850. This was their third-year competing!

 The winner of the JR. Bricklayer – high school event was mason Jackson York and tender Zack Merritts with the Greater Altoona CTC with a brick count of 137! Jackson won $150 for his victory. The Winner of the JR. Bricklayer – journeyman event was mason Mason Perez and tender Landon Price with the BAC Local 9 with a brick count of 147! Mason also won $150 for his victory. The JR. Bricklayer event is for high school students and apprentices pursuing a career in masonry. The JR. SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500® competitions give masonry’s up and coming bricklayers a chance to showcase their drive and skills against their peers.

 The winner of the JR. Blocklayer event was the team of Chris Keilman, Mason Perez, and Austin Komarinski with the BAC – Local 9. They laid an impressive 36 blocks in the competition, winning them $300!

 Disclosures:
In 2019, the SPEC MIX organization partnered with other masonry associations to create the JR. SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 Competition. In 2025, of the 22 Regional Series competitions, 20 will also hold a JR. BRICKLAYER 500 contest to allow high schoolers and masonry apprentices to compete for top honors and prizes. 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/.

 2026 World Championship: If you are interested in becoming a fan, the 24th annual SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 World Championship will take place in January 2026, at the World of Concrete tradeshow in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the Las Vegas Convention Center Bronze Lot. At this competition, world-class masons lay it all on the line to claim their portion of the total purse valued at more than $150,000.

2025 SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA REGIONAL RESULTS

2025 SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 Western Penn Regional Series Photo Gallery