Meet the 24 Contestants of the First-Ever Auto Glass Technician Olympics™

The first-ever Auto Glass Technician Olympics (AGTO) will get under way this coming weekend at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The competition, which begins on Sunday, October 16, judges auto glass technicians according to the Auto Glass Replacement Safety Standards (AGRSS). The competition begins on the heels of the first-ever AGRSS Conference.

The technicians competing in the AGTO are coming from across the country and bringing a range of experience from all ends of the spectrum to Las Vegas. So who are the contestants for this year's competition? We bring you a quick glimpse of the field below, listed in alphabetical order.

Name: Steve Bauer
Company: Excel Auto Glass
Location: Lake Katrine, N.Y.
Type of Adhesive: Essex (Dow)
Bio: Steve, 31, is married to Cristy and has eight years of experience as an auto glass technician.

Name: John Boese
Company: Sierra Vista Glass
Location: Sierra Vista, Ariz.
Type of Adhesive: Sika
Bio: Steve and his wife, Aracely, have two children. The 23-year-old windshield technician has four years of experience as a technician and enjoys playing soccer and having fun with his children in his spare time.

Name: Mick Briggs
Company: Cascade Auto Glass
Location: Kuna, Idaho
Type of Adhesive: Sika
Bio: Mick, 29, has four years of experience installing glass. He is married to Jennifer, and the couple has two children. In his spare time, the technician/trainer enjoys working on older cars and hunting.

Name: Justin Brooks
Company: Cascade Auto Glass
Location: Boise, Idaho
Type of Adhesive: Sika
Bio: Justin, 27, is married to Charity. The 27-year-old technician enjoys hunting, fishing and boating. On the job, he has eight years of experience working as a technician.

Name: Bob Cassell
Company: All County Auto Glass
Location: Great Neck, Ny.
Type of Adhesive: Essex (Dow)
Bio: Bob, 46, the owner of All County Auto Glass, is married to Jennifer and is the father of two children. Bob, a 17-year veteran of the auto glass business, keeps a busy schedule, but when he does have spare time, he enjoys time with his family.

Name: Randy Chadwick
Company: Glasspro Inc.
Location: Little River, S.C.
Type of Adhesive: Dow
Bio: Randy, 38, is a technician for Glasspro Inc. He and his wife, Susi, have two children. In his time off the job, Randy, who has been a technician for 15 years, enjoys golf and fishing.

Name: Shane Colunga
Company: Glass Savers
Location: Lindon, Utah
Type of Adhesive: Sika
Bio: Shane is married to Taresa and has three children. Shane has 19 years of experience in the auto glass industry.

Name: Ian Corry
Company: Auto One
Location: Brighton, Mich.
Type of Adhesive: SRP
Bio: Ian, 25, has six years of experience as an auto glass technician. In his spare time, he enjoys fishing, boating, flying, RC cars and doing home improvements.

Name: Kevin Denz
Company: Maverick Glass
Location: Glendale, Ariz.
Type of Adhesive: Essex (Dow)
Bio: Kevin, 24, enjoys weight lifting, football and golf in his down time. He has six years of experience as an auto glass technician.

Name: Mark Elliff
Company: Auto Glass Center
Location: Marshalltown, Iowa
Type of Adhesive: Essex (Dow)
Bio: Mark, a 23-year-old technician, has two and a half years experience in the industry. In addition, he is a full-time student, a drummer in a band and an Iowa State Cyclones basketball fan. He also has a 2-year-old daughter.

Name: Kent Gines
Company: Glass Doctor
Location: St. George, Utah
Type of Adhesive: Essex (Dow)
Bio: Thirty-two-year-old Kent has two children. In his spare time, he enjoys working on cars, sports and etching glass. He brings fifteen year of experience as an auto glass technician to this competition.

Name: Daniel Hanks
Company: Daniel's Auto Glass
Location: Bassett, Va.
Type of Adhesive: Dow
Bio: Daniel, 32, is the owner and operator of his shop and has 18 years of experience as an auto glass technician. Daniel and his wife, Elizabeth, have four children. When he has a spare moment, he enjoys car racing and restoring vintage cars.

Name: David Hitzges
Company: Glass Doctor
Location: Fort Myers, Fla.
Type of Adhesive: Sika
Bio: David, 44, has 20 years of experience as an auto glass technician. He has one son, and, in his spare time, enjoys motorcycles and fishing.

Name: Jason Horne
Company: Cindy Rowe Auto Glass
Location: Harrisburg, Pa.
Type of Adhesive: Sika
Bio: Jason, 35, is senior technician for Cindy Rowe Auto Glass. He and his wife, Andrea, have two children. With 17 years of experience, in his spare time, Jason enjoys golf and cars.

Name: Lynn Lovetinsky
Company: Auto Glass Center
Location: West Branch, Iowa
Type of Adhesive: Dow
Bio: Lynn, a technician with 13 years of experience, is married to Tonya and enjoys spending time with his children. In addition to spending time with his family, the 35-year-old enjoys gun collecting and reloading.

Name: Mark McNally
Company: On-Site Windshield
Location: Barre, Vt.
Type of Adhesive: Dow
Bio: With 21 years of experience in the industry, Mark, 42, is the lead technician with On-Site. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his girlfriend, Marsh Allen, and his two children.

Name: Ronald Mulvey
Company: Omni Auto Glass
Location: Oshkosh, Wis.
Type of Adhesive: Sika
Bio: Ronald, 34, has more than 13 years of experience in the industry, and, during that time, has become a certified master installer, a member of AGRSS, a Sika trainer, and is certified to complete windshield repairs by Glass Medic. Ronald is married to Crystal, and has one daughter. Off the job, the auto glass veteran enjoys the outdoors, with pastimes of hunting, fishing and camping.

Name: Jeff Olive
Company: Glasspro
Location: Summerville, SC
Type of Adhesive: Dow
Bio: Jeff, who serves as director of quality control and a master technician, has multiple installation certifications, including a certification from Performance Achievement Group, Automotive Glass Consultants and Dow Automotive/Essex ARG. He and his wife, Maehing, have three children and are currently expecting another, due in March. Jeff, 42, enjoys biking, boating and spending time with his family.

Name: Marco Romero
Company: Sierra Vista Glass Inc.
Location: Sierra Vista, Ariz.
Type of Adhesive: Sika
Bio: In his four years of experience as an auto glass technician, Marco, 28, has earned numerous certifications, including a Sika certification. Marco and his wife, Aracely, have two children with whom he enjoys playing soccer in his free time.

Name: Tom Savage
Company: Glass Doctor
Location: Port Hadlock, Wash.
Type of Adhesive: Sika
Bio: Tom, 25, brings six years of experience with him to the competition. The lead tech for Glass Doctor of Port Hadlock, Wash., is married to Amanda. They have two children. In Tom's spare time, he enjoys shooting and hunting.

Name: Mike Smart
Company: Tri-State Autoglass
Location: Kingman, Ariz.
Type of Adhesive: Sika
Bio: Marc, the 33-year-old operations manager for Tri-State Autoglass, is married to Marilynn. They have three children. Marc has 15 years of experience in the industry and enjoys fishing, hunting, and NASCAR racing.

Name: Carl Sorrells
Company: Northwest Windshields Inc.
Location: Walla Walla, Wash.
Type of Adhesive: Dow
Bio: Carl, 28, is a certified master technician with 12 years of experience. He is happy to have the support of his wife, Andrea, as he competes in this competition.

Name: Eric Thoebodeau
Company: Cascade Auto Glass
Location: Cottonwood, Calif.
Type of Adhesive: Sika
Bio: Eric, who has five years of experience in the auto glass industry, and his wife, Janessa, have one son. The 30-year-old technician for Cascade Auto Glass enjoys coaching football and following racing legends in his free time.

Name: Rick Valencia
Company: Hockley Auto Glass Services
Location: Cypress, Texas
Type of Adhesives: Dow, Eftec and ADCO
Bio: Rick, 40, is the manager of Hockley Auto Glass and brings 10 years of experience as an auto glass technician to that position. He is also a husband to Grace, and father of two. In addition to his family, Rick enjoys kickboxing, hot rods, motorcycles and fishing.

The winner will be crowned on Tuesday, October 18, 2005. Stay tuned to glassBYTES for up-to-date information on the competition and to find out who wins.