Four top students have received honors in the plumbing competition of the annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Championships, held virtually for the first time on June 14-24, 2021.

This was the 57th annual event for the world’s largest showcase of the skilled trades. In a typical year, SkillsUSA brings together more than 6,400 secondary and post-secondary career and technical education students to compete in 102 trades competitions.

This year’s plumbing honors went to the following individuals:

• 1st Place Post-Secondary – Gabriel Sacco, Virginia Technical Institute, Altavista, Virginia
• 1st Place Secondary – Dylan Fil, Smith Vocational & Agricultural High School, Northampton, Massachusetts
• 2nd Place Secondary – Preston Hyatt, Eureka Springs High School, Eureka Springs, Arkansas
• 3rd Place Secondary – Andrew Hahn, Jr., Frederick County Career & Tech Center, Frederick, Maryland

SkillsUSA’s plumbing competition is supported by the PHCC Educational Foundation each year. The Foundation’s Plumbing Apprentice and Journeyman Training Committee makes up the majority of the SkillsUSA Plumbing Technical Committee. These members worked to ensure competitors and schools would receive material support, even though individual contests would be held virtually, in 22 different locations throughout the nation. They worked within a variety of constraints to develop a contest challenging enough to represent a high industry standard.

Technical committee members for this year’s event included the following:

• Angela Collins, PHCC Educational Foundation, Falls Church, Virginia
• Laurie Crigler, L&D Associates, Inc., Aroda, Virginia
• Roman Grier, Cast Iron Soil Pipe Institute, Atlanta, Georgia
• Robert Hahn, Co-Chair, Eastwick College, HoHoKus School of Trades, Union, New Jersey
• Victor Hatcher, Tyler Pipe and Coupling, Tyler, Texas
• Harold Moret, Copper Development Association, Sarasota, Florida
• Larry Shoemaker, Deluxe Plumbing and Heating, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
• Maureen Vasquez, Co-Chair, PHCC Educational Foundation, Falls Church, Virginia
• James Walls, Cast Iron Soil Pipe Institute, Garland, Texas

The plumbing competition was made possible by the following generous industry sponsors:

Headline Sponsors: Rheem; Copper Development Association; and Zoeller Pump Co.

Additional material and (virtual) on-site support provided by: AB&I Foundry; Brasscraft; Cast Iron Soil Pipe Institute; Charlotte Pipe & Foundry; HoHoKus School; Kohler Co.; Milwaukee Tool; Mueller Streamline Co.; PHCC Educational Foundation; Sioux Chief Manufacturing Co.; and Tyler Pipe and Coupling.