L-169’s Blaine Coulter is named top U.S. graduate apprentice.
L-7’s Spencer is runner-up; Great Lakes contestants take team honors
GRADUATE APPRENTICE Blaine Coulter, Local 169 (Detroit), won first place at the 25th annual Boilermakers’ National Apprenticeship Competition, held Sept. 23-27 at L-169’s training center in Dearborn, Mich.
The Northeast Area’s Daniel Spencer, Local 7 (Buffalo, N.Y.) took the runner-up spot; team honors went to Coulter and Timothy Keck, Local 85 (Toledo, Ohio).
Results of the four-day national competition were announced at an awards banquet held Sept. 27 at the Hyatt Regency Dearborn.
Other graduate apprentices competing this year were, from the Northeast Area, Brian Cook, Local 5 Zone 197 (Albany, N.Y.); from the Southeast Area, Jerry Gifford, Local 40 (Elizabethtown, Ky.), and Joshua Breedlove, Local 69 (Little Rock, Ark.); and from the Western States Area, John Bowman, Local 242 (Spokane, Wash.), and Patrick McCoy, Local 500 (Salem, Ore.).
All eight contestants earned their way to the national event by winning the top spot in their local lodge competition and finishing in one of the top two positions in their area competition.
