40th Annual N.C. State Fair Carpentry Pre-Apprentice Contest

DIVISION 101 – PRE-APPRENTICE CONTESTS

Class 03 – PRE-APPRENTICE CARPENTRY

2026 N.C. State Fair Apprentice Contests Digital Booklet 10.22.26

Contest Information:

• DATE: Thursday, October 22, 2026
• SCHEDULE:
  • Contestant Check-In: 7:30 a.m. – 8:15 a.m.
  • Tool Inspection/Set-up: 8:15 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.
  • Contestant Briefing/Safety Briefing: 8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
  • Contest: 9:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
  • Judging: 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
  • Awards Ceremony: 3:00 p.m.
•  LOCATION: N.C. State Fair, behind the Jim Graham Building off of Hillsborough Street
• PREMIUMS: 1st Place: $325, 2nd Place: $225, 3rd Place: $175, 4th Place: $125, 5th Place: $100, 6th-10th Places: $75
• Prizes donated by manufacturers and suppliers will be presented to all contestants.
• The first-place winners and their school will be recognized with plaques at a later date.

Registration Rules & Information:

• Alexander High School
  • Samuel Sluzacek & Nate Hedrick
  • Colt Millsaps & Landon Bumgarner
•  Bunn High School
  • Tyson Smith & Don Cervantes
  • Troy Aycock & Johnathan Fabian
  • Nicholas Meyer & Daniel King
•  Cary High School
  • Joseph Hunt & Ryan Prudich
  • Garrett Murphy & Andrew Lanning
• Holly Springs High School
  • Michael Rinaldo & Carter Nelson
  • Michael Michler & Mason Graff
  • James Joyce & Spencer Niblett
• Independence High School
  • Wesley Dowless & Jacob Frey
  • Eli Crouch & Jonathan French
• Jacksonville High School
  • Finn Thompson & Xavier Borsa
  • Julian Springer & Brody Weston
• Southeast Area Technical High School/Cape Fear Community College
  • Charles Nelson & Ross Rouleau
• Wake Forest High School
  • Olivia Draper & Brooklyn Cassidy
  • Danny Arellan-Vazquez & Brandon Bingham

Contest Contributors:

• 84 Lumber
• ApprenticeshipNC
• Buddy Hughes, Past President, NC Home Builders Association, Raleigh
• Builders Mutual
• CertainTeed
• Crescent Tools
• DPR Construction
• Educational Services Unlimited
• Gregory Poole Equipment Company, Raleigh
• Milwaukee Tools
• N.C. Department of Public Information
• N.C. Home Builders Association
• N.C. State Fair
• Wake County Schools

Registration Rules & Information:

• Contest registration opens at 8:00 a.m. on July 15, 2026.
• Access contest information: www.apprenticeshipnc.com/events
• NEW REQUIREMENT: Instructors, please reach out to ApprenticeshipNC Communications Assistant Margaret Spainhour, spainhourm@nccommunitycolleges.edu, to learn about the new student eligibility criteria for this contest. Following the meeting with ApprenticeshipNC, if eligible, you will be provided with a registration link.
• Previous first place winners are ineligible to compete in future contests.
• Contestants must be 16 years old or older to compete. 
• All required documentation must be submitted prior to the start of the contest in order for contestants to compete.
• To reserve a team spot without finalized contestant information, submit the form by September 4 and enter “TBD” for all contestant details.
• Instructors must submit the final names of all competing team members by October 1, 2026.
• No team member substitutions will be allowed after October 1, 2026.
  • If a team member withdraws after this deadline, the entire team will be disqualified. ApprenticeshipNC will then select a replacement team from the waiting list.
• The contest is limited to 20 qualifying teams, with two contestants per team. ApprenticeshipNC will maintain an alternate list.

Contest Planning Committee:

• ApprenticeshipNC
• Bill Whittaker—Committee Chair, DPR Construction, Raleigh
• Buddy Hughes—NC Home Builders Association, Lexington
• Eddie Reeves—ApprenticeshipNC (Ret.)
• Grayson Williams—Lowe’s Companies, Inc.
• Judy Dinelle—84 Lumber, Asheville
• Kep Paylor—NC Home Builders Association, Raleigh
• Linda Rowland—CooperTools, Raleigh
• Michele Lewter—Connect for Success NC
• Tim Eldridge—Educational Services Unlimited

The State of North Carolina will require the submission of a NC Substitute W-9 prior to making any payment of $600 or greater or any payment that results in a total of $600 or more during one calendar year from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to any individual or entity. All exhibitors are strongly encouraged to complete and upload the NC Substitute W-9 form to prevent any delay in receiving premium prize money.

Due to entry deadline extensions by committees, some contestants, contributors, and/or sponsors may not be listed in the printed program. These individuals and organizations will be acknowledged at the awards presentation. The contest committee reserves the right to make changes prior to the contest date. Updates to any contest will be posted at www.apprenticeshipnc.com/events.

About the Contest:

Held annually for 40 years, the N.C. State Fair Carpentry Pre-Apprentice Contest promotes interest in skilled trades and highlights the next generation of North Carolina’s workforce. The contest is organized by ApprenticeshipNC, the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and industry partners and employers. It brings together the state’s top carpentry pre-apprentices to compete head-to-head to demonstrate their technical skill, knowledge, and precision.

For registration or contest related questions, please contact ApprenticeshipNC Communications Assistant Margaret Spainhour at spainhourm@nccommunitycolleges.edu.