This March, I mentored and traveled with our FGCU student team to Salt Lake City for the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Construction Management Competition. Thirty universities from across the country took part this year.

The project for this year’s competition was the Hyatt Regency Salt Lake, a 26-story hotel with 686,000 square feet of space, 517 guestrooms, and more than 60,000 square feet of event space. It was a big and complex project for the students to work through.

Our results:

• Quality: 5th out of 30 teams

• Safety: 8th out of 30 teams

• Project Management: 12th out of 30 teams

• Overall: 13th out of 30 teams

We ran into some airline delays on the way there, but the students stayed focused and did their best work.

Team:

• Alexis Figueroa-Baltazar (Captain)

• Delaney Bischof (Co-Captain)

• Gia Gianforte

• Mya Baranski

• Alternates: Kaya Aydogmus, Enrique Bucio Garcia

• Shadows: Abram Brito, Izaul Martinez, Daniel Santiago

Thank you to the industry mentors and sponsors who helped the team prepare: Spencer Wiseman (JP Wiseman Construction), Nico Zepp, Kyle Goebel, and Jordy Nuñez (Suffolk Construction), Alden Gunder (CORE Construction), Trent Swartz (Charles Perry Partners), Ruben Gonzalez (Ready Window), William Ramirez (Baker Construction), Talia Cisneros (Allen Concrete & Masonry), Brian F. Mumme, Jerzy Mamprejew, Kathleen Simpson, and Dan Squire (B&I Contractors), Steve Cona III and Lisa Swinto (ABC Florida Gulf Coast Chapter), and Steve Makredes.

Their time and support made a real difference for the team.

The students learned a lot from competing alongside other strong programs, and I’m glad I got to be part of the trip with them.