Utah Valley University’s mixed use construction management team took home first place in the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Region 6 and 7 student competition, held February 7-10 in Sparks, Nevada.

More than 1,700 students from 22 states and 55 participating universities competed to showcase their construction management skills and knowledge. UVU sent five competition teams: mixed use, project management, heavy civil, commercial, and concrete solutions.

"We are very proud of all of our teams this year,” said Robert Warcup, UVU construction technologies department chair. “They represented UVU well and shared innovative ideas. We are especially happy to take home the mixed use trophy sponsored by Layton Construction."

During the intense competition, the teams were assigned a real-world construction problem sponsored by an industry partner. They were given approximately 14 hours to develop a comprehensive proposal that included total cost estimates, site logistics plans, safety measures, project schedules, and unique construction strategies. Each team also gave a 20-minute presentation to a panel of judges and responded to any follow-up questions about their proposals.

Yahir Narciso, the captain of UVU's mixed use team, emphasized the value of participating in the competition. "This was a great experience that I recommend anyone in the construction management program try at least once, even if you are new to the program,” Narciso said. “You learn and connect within the industry at a whole different level”

Participating in the ASC competition provides students with a platform to showcase their skills and offers valuable networking opportunities. After the award ceremony, 110 construction companies participated in a career fair for the students.

Gayla Cannon, a career counselor at UVU, emphasized the benefits of the competition, stating, "Participating in the ASC competition gives students an opportunity to build their skills. Students learn how to work as a team under tight deadlines to solve real-world construction problems. Additionally, they expand their professional networks to land internships and jobs."