Eight Tradesmen Celebrated at Craft Championship Hosted in Poway

Working on a sunny Saturday is never any fun, but having an audience cheer you on can more than make up for it.

On Dec. 3, the Associated Builders and Contractors San Diego Training Academy and Chapter located in Poway hosted the 10^th annual Craft Championship. The competition was split into three categories—electrical, plumbing and sheet metal—and 20 experienced apprentices and craft trainees took part.

With judges to impress and several hundred spectators looking on, electrical winner Jorge Sevilla said he was nervous at first.

“Once I got started, it was just like being at work,” said Sevilla, who credits the support he received from his employer at Bergelectric in Escondido.

Chris Fields of Pacific Rim Mechanical in San Diego won first place in the plumbing competition and was cheered on by a large group that included his wife, parents, in-laws and extended family.

Math played a big part in the win for sheet metal champion Jason McElveny of West Coast Air Conditioning in El Cajon. He said the competition threw him a few curves, but he was able to calculate things through to the best possible solution.

Neil Talmadge of Sherwood Mechanical in Poway placed third in the plumbing competition. Other winners were Daniel Martin of in Lemon Grove; Wesley Thompson of Laser Electric in San Diego; Joshua Kelly of HPS Mechanical in San Diego; and independent competitor Guillermo Mendoza.

Winners of this regional competition will advance to a national competition next year.

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