YSU Team Takes Second Place in State Competition
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – A team of students from the Youngstown State University Civil and Construction Engineering Technology program recently placed second in the 2023 Ohio Contractors Association Estimating Competition.
The team of six students – Ryan Bedlion, Aryonna Bowser, TJ Danley, Mason Kotanchek, Sidney Laughner and Isaac Smith – led by associate professor Joseph Sanson competed in a two-day competition against 11 other Ohio universities in February, finishing behind only the team from Case Western Reserve University. The second-place finish was the best ever for a YSU team.
During the competition, teams are given a construction project they are to create an estimate for and are given most of the day to work on their estimate. When the bids are submitted, the judges open and evaluate the bids to see which bids are responsive, and the results are read to the teams. The team closest to the estimate provided by the actual contractor that constructed the project is given the choice of what time it will present its estimate to the judges the next day. Each team is given points in several categories, the main category being the presentation.
For the presentation, each team is given 15 minutes to present to the judges and 15 minutes for the judges to ask the team members questions. The winning team is determined based on a responsive bid and the points accumulated from the other categories.
The other universities competing in this year’s competition were Bowling Green State University, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland State University, Kent State University, Ohio Northern University, Ohio University, The Ohio State University, University of Akron, University of Cincinnati, University of Dayton and University of Toledo.
Pictured at top: Youngstown State University’s 2023 Ohio Contractors Association Estimating Competition team is, front, from left: Sidney Laughner and Aryonna Bowser; and back, from left: Ryan Bedlion, TJ Danley, Mason Kotanchek, Isaac Smith and associate professor Joseph Sanson. (YSU)
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
