It is history making! For the first time ever, in the 16 year history of the Top Notch Trowel Competition, an ALL GIRLS team won. They’re from Ontario High School masonry class. They scored the highest overall points to win the coveted Annual Jim Broncatello Perpetual Trophy. The privileged winners take it back to their school and own it for the year until May 2016. In the photo see Jim Broncatello (on left) and the Ontario High School masonry team April Ruiz, Nicolina Estinola, Sara Fierros, (Instructor Kennie Ott hefting the trophy), Giselle Gomez, (and teammate Cindy Avila not in photo). Five high schools participated. Teams came from AB Miller, Boys Republic, Upland, Ontario, and Escondido Valley High Schools. All teams competed in a timed skills challenge in 4 divisions: straight lead, corner lead, sample panel, and 8 foot wall. Congratulations to this team, and all competitors, outstanding!
See some photos from the event:
Boys Throw In the Trowel
Source: Chino Champion http://www.championnewspapers.com/
Published: Monday, May 11, 2015 6:05 AM PDT
Members of the Ontario High School masonry team that won the Jim Broncatello Top Trowel C
ontest at Boys Republic are Cindy Avila (left), April Ruiz, Nicolina Estinola, Sara Fierros and Giselle Gomez.
If the results of the Jim Broncatello Top Trowel Contest last Saturday at Boys Republic are any indication, you can add masonry to the list of achievements in which girls surpass boys.
A team of five first-year masonry students taught by instructor Kennie Ott at Ontario High School won first place and the Jim Broncatello traveling trophy at the annual contest. The team – Cindy Avila, Giselle Gomez, April Ruiz, Nicolina Estinola and Sarah Fierros – was assisted by one fourth-year masonry student and the only male on the team, Juan Ramirez. Four other teams competed.
Cindy and Giselle teamed up to build an 8-foot block wall, finishing second in that category, Mr. Ott said. April built a sample panel of blocks and also finished second. The blocks, called CMUs, measure 6 by 8 by 16 inches and weigh about 15 pounds each.
Nicolina built the straight lead, the starting and ending points of the block wall that must be perfect if the height and spacing of the blocks is to be correct, Mr. Ott said. She finished first in category, scoring 48 of a possible 50 points.
Sarah tackled the corner lead, one of the most complicated tasks and one usually performed by a master mason, her teacher said. She finished first. One of the contractors present said he employs journeymen who can’t do what Sarah did, her teacher said.