2016 Butch Hardy Memorial Masonry Contest Was the 35th Annual

Words: Dan Kamys[caption id="attachment_12979" align="alignnone" width="1024"]DSC_0215 Pictured left to right, Pender High School instructor Roland Dixon; Columbus Career and College Academy instructor Fred Mason; Nattaly Razo; Fourth Place Finisher William Floyd, Pender High School; Samuel LaRue; Third Place Finisher Christopher Pierce, Pender High School; Second Place Finisher, Men’s Division, Thomas Copeland, Swansboro High School; Swansboro High School instructor Daniel Bright, himself a previous winner of the contest; and Fifth Place Finisher Justin Cortese, Swansboro High School.[/caption] The 35th annual Skills Contest for masonry students attending high schools in eastern North Carolina took place on Friday, May 13, 2016. Adams, an Oldcastle company, has sponsored and run the event for all 35 years. Senior Samuel LaRue of Swansboro High School achieved Top-Score for the contest, setting the record with three wins in three years. Nattaly Razo, Columbus Career and College Academy, won the Women’s Division and had the second best score for the day. She also won the contest’s Women’s Division in 2015. Other winners included: • Second Place Finisher, Men’s Division, Thomas Copeland, Swansboro High School. • Third Place Finisher: Christopher Pierce, Pender High School. • Fifth Place Finisher: Justin Cortese, Swansboro High School. Barry Parton (not pictured) of Pender High School won the First Year Division contest. Swansboro High School won first place for combined team score. The competition is named The H.A. “Butch” Hardy Memorial Masonry Contest in memory of the contest founder. The event was held in Goldsboro, N.C. For more information, contact Lynn Nash, executive vice president of NCMCA. More photos are available at https://ncmcapictures.shutterfly.com/pictures/3484.
Five Truths About Final Brick Cleandown
May 2026

Not all truths are self-evident. Sometimes they’re easy to forget or clouded with misunderstanding. The good news is these truths of final cleandown are not hard to implement on your next project to ensure successfully cleaned and beautiful new brick.

Jake Boyer
MAP Partner
Read More
Shelf Angles and Their Impact on Wall Performance
May 2026

Shelf angles have long been a standard component in masonry construction. Installed at the slab edge, they provide support for brick veneer and are often treated as a routine detail. However, as building performance requirements evolve, particularly aroun

Erica Oliveraz
MAP Partner
Read More
The Mason’s Mark: Defining the Craft Through the Trowel
May 2026

Walk onto any job site, from a custom residential chimney to a sprawling commercial block wall, and you will hear it before you see it: the distinctive ring of high-carbon steel striking masonry. The trowel is more than just a mortar scoop; it is the cond

Mark Maleski
Technical Talks
Read More
Registration Now Open for the 2026 MCAA Midyear Meeting in San Antonio, Texas
May 2026

The Mason Contractors Association of America (MCAA) is thrilled to announce that registration is now open for the highly anticipated 2026 MCAA Midyear Meeting, set to take place in San Antonio, Texas. This exciting event is scheduled from September 13th-1

Industry News
Read More