Building students get to showcase new WNC program

By Andrew Pridgen

Appeal Staff Writer

Candidates for a bachelor's degree in construction management at Western Nevada College are already competing for awards and national recognition, just midway through the second semester of the program's existence.

This weekend in Sparks, six WNC undergrads will compete as a team against some 900 peers from colleges throughout the West to see just who can manage a construction project in its bidding phase start-to-finish in the most cost-effective and efficient manner.

A tall order for the local students, who will match wits against the elite, said Dr. Jerry Stegeman, WNC's construction management professor.

"You've got programs like Colorado State, which has 960 students," he said. "They choose their top six students to come to this thing.

"So, for us, a new program, it's an honor to compete - and it'll be interesting to see where we rank."

Wednesday, Stegeman and his students checked into John Asquaga's Nugget, unloaded books, unpacked suitcases and got ready for a long day of competition.

The annual American Schools of Construction regional competition begins today.

"It's basically a bidding competition," said WNC team captain and Minden resident, Pete Claridge, 24. " Whenever you do a job in construction, you put out bids.

"In the contest, we're kind of doing two to three months worth of work in one day. We get the specs and set of plans and go to work from 6 a.m. to 10:30 that night. It's going to be a fun day - a long day."

Teams don't get any outside help, either.

Once on the clock, competitors aren't allowed to check in with coaches, instructors, classmates not in the competition, friends or family.

No phone calls, no Internet. Just the team, a set of plans and a stack of books, Claridge said.

"Just a bunch of guys and our calculators - sounds like fun, eh?" he joked.

"The winners, of course, get a lot of attention," he said. "But, I think what the students don't yet realize is the number of huge companies that will be at the job fair following the competition.

Stegeman said he expected about 250 teams to descend upon Northern Nevada, calling the competition "stiff all around."

Of course, WNC may have something going for it that teams from Arizona State, Colorado and defending champion Brigham Young don't - experience.

Team member Kurt Garrett, 49, was a contractor for 11 years and has worked in construction 30 years.

"When you work in the construction trades, the more you see and the more you do, the more you understand how it works," he said.

Team member Randy Contreras, 19, currently works for Canyon Creek Construction, which is building a Holiday Inn in Reno and Canyon Creek Estates in Genoa.

"The guys at WNC all have experience and we're all happy to be able to work while we get our degree," Claridge said.

"This is the first year of our bachelor's program," said WNC spokeswoman Anne Hansen. "The point is we're trying to make it so people who've been in the field can get a degree and advance in the field.

"I think competitions (like this) will really showcase the program."

• Contact reporter Andrew Pridgen at apridgen@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1219.