SUNY Delhi Students Earn Second Place in Heavy Civil Construction Competition

11/20/2025 — A team of students in SUNY Delhi's construction management program earned second place in the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Region I Heavy Civil Competition last weekend in Albany, NY. The annual competition brings together the best construction programs from across 13 states in the Northeast to compete in a demanding two-day event that tests their industry knowledge and skills. Team Delhi placed ahead of several major engineering institutions, including the University at Buffalo, Clarkson University, and Penn Tech.

SUNY Delhi's team consisted of seniors Daniel Carlos of Putnam Valley, NY; Frank Caminitti of Mahopac, NY; Luca Russo of Lynbrook, NY; and Riley Welsome of New City, NY. The same team placed third in the Commercial Construction category of last year's ASC competition.

In the heavy civil competition, students were required to prepare a full response to an industry-level Request for Proposals (RFP) based on the I-540 highway loop project in Raleigh, North Carolina. Student teams evaluated engineering drawings, phasing plans, and technical documents and developed multiple deliverables under tight deadlines before presenting their proposal to a panel of industry judges. Faculty were prohibited from offering guidance, making the competition a true test of student skill and independent problem-solving.

"Working for 12 straight hours to produce a high-quality proposal and presentation was both mentally and physically challenging," said team captain Daniel Carlos of the experience. "Because we've been friends in the program for four years, we had a great team dynamic and were able to trust each other and play to each other's strengths. The hands-on knowledge and work ethic we've learned at SUNY Delhi prepared us for success. Placing second is a big accomplishment and gives us real confidence going into our careers."

FlatironDragados, a leading infrastructure construction company that sponsored the heavy civil competition, commended Team Delhi for its exceptional professionalism, construction knowledge, and real-world experience far exceeding that of most of their peers.

"I am so proud of our students for taking second place in this very challenging contest against formidable competitors," said Associate Professor Alex Brownell, associate professor in the Construction Technology and Construction Management programs at SUNY Delhi. "At their young age, they are already in high demand by large companies who view them as priority recruits."

All four SUNY Delhi team members have completed industry internships and received full-time job offers with leading construction firms. Russo and Caminitti have received offers from Barnard, Welsome from Kiewit/Weeks Marine, and Carlos from Whiting-Turner.

Brownell credits the strength of SUNY Delhi's construction management program to highly experienced faculty and the program's curriculum, which aims to develop a deep understanding of different construction markets and activities through courses such as site engineering, estimating, and project management. Extensive industry internships and on-the-job training build valuable real-world skills.

Left to right: Frank Caminitti, Riley Welsome, Luca Russo, and Daniel Carlos represented SUNY Delhi and took second place in the ASC Heavy Civil Competition in Albany.