On a typical jobsite, a mason might lay 500 to 600 bricks over the course of a day. At the SPEC MIX Bricklayer 500, competitors have one hour to show their speed and craftsmanship.
On Oct. 7, 2026, masons, tenders, apprentices and high school students gathered at Fond du Lac Natural Stone for the SPEC MIX Bricklayer 500 Wisconsin Regional. Professional teams worked against the clock for the title of Wisconsin's Best Bricklayer and a spot at the World Championship in Las Vegas.
C.D. Smith masons and apprentices were among those attending this year's event.
Each team pairs a mason with a tender. The mason sets brick while the tender keeps mortar and materials moving, and together they work a 26-foot wall for 60 minutes. Judges count every brick and deduct for craftsmanship errors, so the winning wall has to be both fast and clean.
Bricklayer 500 host Tom Clark told WFRV Local 5 that a mason will lay 500 to 600 bricks in a full day on a jobsite. “But out here, you’ve only got 60 minutes,” he said.
Michael Schlund and mason tender Aaron Kowalski of Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Local 6 took first place and the Top Craftsman award. They earned the title of Wisconsin's Best Bricklayer and will compete at the World Championship in Las Vegas in January 2027.
At the 2025 Wisconsin Regional, C.D. Smith masonry superintendent Zach Theobald and mason tender Kyle Hughes placed third with 318 bricks. Both attended this year's event, along with C.D. Smith masonry apprentices Mason Forster, Hunter Habersat and Jason Pettigrew.
Several Wisconsin high schools participated in the JR. SPEC MIX Bricklayer 500, a competition for high school students and masonry apprentices developing their skills in the trade.
Student teams had 20 minutes to build a 9-foot, 4-inch wall. D.C. Everest Senior High School student Cooper Baregi and mason tender Sam Wille took first place with 52 bricks, according to Wausau Pilot & Review.
For some competitors, the junior event is a first step into the trade.
Hunter Habersat competed in the JR. Bricklayer 500 Wisconsin Regional as a Fond du Lac High School ACE Academy student during the 2022–23 school year. After graduating in 2023, he signed a bricklaying apprenticeship with BAC Local 34.
Three years later, he returned to the Bricklayer 500 as a masonry apprentice with C.D. Smith.
Masonry apprenticeships pair classroom instruction with paid time on the wall beside experienced masons.
C.D. Smith's Mason Apprenticeship Program combines 5,480 hours of on-the-job training with 520 classroom hours over three years.
Events like the Bricklayer 500 give apprentices an opportunity to see the pace, precision and teamwork the trade demands at its highest level.
C.D. Smith supports that pathway from high school forward through its K-12 School Partnership Program, Fond du Lac High School's ACE Academy and construction youth apprenticeships.
For an owner or manager planning, renovating or maintaining a school, hospital or manufacturing facility, masonry workmanship affects the building long after construction is complete. Proper installation, coordination with other trades and attention to detail all contribute to durable, high-quality construction.
C.D. Smith self-performs masonry, keeping experienced field teams directly involved in planning and execution. Developing apprentices alongside those professionals helps sustain the skilled workforce needed to deliver that work on future projects.
C.D. Smith masons have been part of the Wisconsin Regional for years. Explore previous coverage of the competition and the skilled trades career pathways it supports.
The SPEC MIX Bricklayer 500 is a masonry competition with regional events across the United States and Canada. Teams of one mason and one tender have 60 minutes to lay as many bricks as possible while meeting craftsmanship standards. Regional winners advance to the World Championship in Las Vegas.
Michael Schlund and mason tender Aaron Kowalski of Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Local 6 won first place and the Top Craftsman award. They advance to the World Championship in Las Vegas in January 2027.
The competition took place October 7, 2026, at Fond du Lac Natural Stone in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.
The junior competition gives high school students and masonry apprentices an opportunity to demonstrate their bricklaying skills in timed challenges. At the 2026 Wisconsin Regional, Cooper Baregi and Sam Wille of D.C. Everest Senior High School earned first place in the student competition.
C.D. Smith's mason apprenticeship pathway is a three-year program combining 5,480 hours of on-the-job training with 520 classroom hours. Apprentices develop masonry skills through supervised field experience and classroom instruction.
High school programs such as ACE Academy, youth apprenticeships and registered apprenticeships through organizations such as BAC Local 34 provide pathways into masonry careers.
Explore field careers at C.D. Smith Construction or learn about the Mason Apprenticeship Program.
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Date: October 30, 2026
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