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Not all the Olympic events were in Salt Lake City this year. Just ask Robert Fraley and Jason Mize in the Department of Physical Facilities. They headed to the Superdome in New Orleans recently to compete in the Associated Builders & Contractors, Inc. Apprenticeship National Craft Olympics Competition.
Fraley, a zone maintenance superintendent, and Mize, who works in the Carpenter Shop, qualified for the nationals after winning two-part local competitions on Jan. 12 at the Broadview Heights headquarters of the Northern Ohio Chapter of ABC, Inc.
The University sends its apprentices in various trades to ABC, Inc., for training. To qualify for the Olympics, apprentices have to be rated one of the top five in their respective trade areas and be in their last year of training. Robert Campbell, from UA’s HVAC Shop, also qualified for the local Olympics, but was unable to attend. Before moving on to the skills portion of the competition, the contestants had written tests to complete.
For the local carpentry skills competition, Mize was required to build six projects in less than four hours — items like a sawhorse and a set of stairs.
"We were judged on all aspects of the work — our cuts and angles — and our quality and speed," says Mize. "There were probably 200 people watching us, but after a while, you just forget about them."
Fraley had four hours to follow a blueprint to completely wire a residential furnace with an air conditioning unit. Not only was he the first one done — he finished in three hours. "I had to convince myself all the way home that I'd won," recalls Fraley.
Like Mize, he received $100 in cash, a $50 Home Depot gift certificate, a Craft Olympics finalist T-shirt, and airfare and hotel accommodations to New Orleans. The 2002 national competition marks the first time the northern Ohio chapter sent participants.
"The entire physical plant is very proud of these gentlemen," says Joseph Gregor, director of physical facilities.
At the national finals, which were held Feb. 28 to March 2, contestants could win $1,000 for a first-place finish. As with the local competitions, contestants had grueling written tests to complete and each skills contest was timed.
The floor of the Superdome was quite a different workspace from what he and Fraley are accustomed to, says Mize, particularly since there were a few thousand spectators on hand. That made for an atmosphere he describes as "very intense."
Mize was one of 19 in the carpentry competition. Each contestant was required to build a 4 feet long by 4 feet wide by 12 feet high house — complete with a shingled roof, flooring, staircase and window.
Fraley was up against six others in the HVAC competition. He had to pipe and wire a condenser unit for an air conditioner. While he didn’t place among the top three winners, Fraley says he had a great time and really enjoyed all the festivities for the contestants.
Mize, who brought home a bronze medal and a $500 prize for placing third in the carpentry competition, says the awards ceremony felt very much like the Olympics.
"The podiums were set up the same way for the gold, silver and bronze winners, and we had our medals placed around our necks" says Mize. "It was an excellent experience."
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