Boise State’s Department of Construction Management took 57 students to Reno, Nevada, to again compete in the Associated Schools of Construction Rocky Mountain Region Six and Seven competition. Boise State fielded eight teams, the university’s highest ever number in the national competition. Three of those teams placed in the top three of their categories.
In the Heavy Civil category, the university’s team collected a second-place finish for their Hacienda and Deep Gulch Remediation Project, while the Mixed Use team also secured a second-place finish for their category. In their first-ever participation in the category, the Virtual Design and Construction team achieved a third-place finish.
“The ASC/Reno competition is our version of March Madness for college basketball,” said Construction Management Department Chair Anthony Perrenoud. “Boise State CM Students are hungry to win trophies and we all celebrate together when they win. But winning is not everything, I am extremely proud of all our students who compete because it shows their ability to compete, be a good team member, and their willingness to learn.”
The event sees teams receive an industry problem statements and students must submit a full proposal before the deadline of 14 hours. The proposal requires students to develop and prepare solutions with detailed estimates, scheduling, safety and project management plans.
“My experiences and lessons that I have learned over the past three years competing [in Reno] have been priceless,” said Alexa Bublitz, captain of the Heavy Civil Team. “They have become especially apparent as I took on a leadership role within the Heavy Civil Team this year. I have gained important experience in mentoring and motivating fellow students, as well as coordination skills from working with faculty and multiple experts from companies that generously donated their time. These valuable skills will help me significantly as I transition to the workforce.”
Teams are scored on their approaches specific to the assigned project. The teams must demonstrate their knowledge of all levels of project management and present their plans before a panel of industry experts. Awards are given to the teams that exhibit the most comprehensive approach to the project and its components.
“The ASC Competition is an amazing way for students to apply their knowledge and experience to real world construction industry projects and issues,” said Kaden Baird, captain of the Mixed Use Design Team. “As the team captain, I was able to gain experience in team building and leadership which has given me great confidence in my career moving forward.”
This year’s Associated Schools of Construction competition featured more than 1,700 students, 233 teams and 55 participating universities from across 22 states.
Boise State’s teams were coached and supported by industry sponsors Andersen Construction, Engineering Structures, Inc., McMillen, McAlvain Companies, Inc., Quality Electric Inc., CM Company, Inc., Idaho Materials and Construction, and Okland Construction.
-by Jamie Fink
